


Dragon Squadron

by ArwingYoshi



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Crossover, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jedi Anders, M/M, Mentions of Slavery, Slow Burn, Smuggler Hawke, implied thranto, not for cullen stans, side pairing- merribela
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArwingYoshi/pseuds/ArwingYoshi
Summary: Dragon Age/Star Wars crossover. During the reign of Palpatine, Garrett Hawke is a smuggler just trying to get by, but when he meets a Jedi survivor, they find themselves involved in a greater fight for the galaxy's freedom.
Relationships: Anders/Male Hawke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24
Collections: Anders Positive Fics





	1. Chapter 1

_A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…_

Planet Kirkwall sat within the Thedas sector of the galaxy. Kirkwall was technically a Core World, sitting right near the edge of the Inner and Outer Rim, but it was so far from Coruscant that many didn’t consider it a true Core World. It was also rich in resources and shared trade routes with Ferelden and Orlais, and therefore considered important to the Empire.

Garrett Hawke, and his twin siblings, sat on empty crates in the Low Town spaceport, counting the credits from Athenril they’d earned for the last job she’d sent them on. None of them looked very pleased.

Athenril had promised them three-hundred-and-fifty credits if they got some spare weapons parts off a dealer on Nar Shadaa and brought them back intact. Unfortunately, a rival smuggler had tailed them to the pick up and it ended in a shootout, resulting in the crate being damaged, and some of the parts being charred by blaster fire. They’d only barely managed to get the crate onto the _Hawke’s Talon_ and escape out of the planet’s orbit and into hyperspace, chased by pirate ships all the while.

Athenril had emphasized that the agreed upon price was only if they got it to her intact. Because not all of the cargo survived, she only paid them two-hundred credits.

“You know,” Carver grumbled, as his older brother put the credits into a little pouch. “We might have easily gotten those parts to her without much trouble if someone had pulled out her lightsaber.”

“We’ve been over this, Carver,” Bethany grumbled. “It’s too risky. What if someone saw me and told the Empire?”

“What’s the point of having Jedi powers if you never use them?”

“Back off, Carver,” Garrett growled at his brother, standing up and towering over him. “We’ve been over this, and Bethany’s right. It’s too risky.”

Carver glowered up at his brother, before looking to the side and mumbling something under his breath.

“Still,” Bethany said. “The Empire keeps cracking down on smugglers more and more every day. It may not be pirates who go after us, but Stormtroopers and TIE fighters.” Her brothers didn’t need her to finish that thought, and allowed it to just simmer in the air. The brothers would be taken to an Imperial prison, and Bethany would be taken to the Sith to be turned to the dark side. Maybe even to Darth Vader himself. Garrett would die before he ever let that happen.

“At least we can put this into our savings,” Garrett said, jiggling the bag with the credits. “Hopefully we’ll have enough to move Mother to a better house soon.”

“Yeah, right after we take out the maintenance cost of the _Hawke’s Talon_ and _Sparrow’s Wing_ , buying food, and other amenities,” Carver grumbled again. “Palpatine will have croaked by the time we can afford to move.”

Garrett was about to make a smartass comment right back, when Bethany suddenly froze and jerked her head to the side. Her brothers followed her gaze, and saw a man in a hooded black cloak, his back to the siblings. The person in the cloak froze too, turning his head just slightly in their direction. Immediately, the stranger walked off at a brisk pace.

“I’ll trail him, you two get these credits home.” He tossed the bag to Carver, and made off in the direction of the man.

The brothers usually knew to trust Bethany’s intuition, seeing as she had the Force. Garrett wondered if she had sensed danger off the man. Perhaps he was a pirate from the gang who had ambushed them, having followed them all the way to Kirkwall. Or perhaps it was someone from the Empire who had gotten wind of a stray Jedi and was about to report to their boss.

The other possibility was too good to be true. The man had reacted, and that could be either the best news they’d had since coming to Kirkwall, or a sign that it was time to haul the family into the _Hawke’s Talon_ and flee.

Garrett stayed a good distance behind the man, not making it obvious that he was being followed. The man kept at his brisk pace, Garrett matching it, while still keeping his distance. If he got too far away, he risked losing sight of his target. So far, the man didn’t seem to catch on. He never even turned around or looked over his shoulder.

The man turned into an alley and Garrett sped up a little, for fear of losing him. Upon stepping into the alley, he didn’t see the man, and figured he’d just turned the corner, so Garrett did the same. He paused. 

The man was gone. He’d lost him.

Garrett felt a blade press against his back, at kidney height.

“Why are you following me?”

Turning his head just slightly, Garrett could see that it was the man in the hood. He still couldn’t get a good look at his face, with the hood up, but he could at least see his lower jaw. He was human, that much was certain, and in need of a shave.

“I just like to make a hobby out of trailing suspicious fellows,” Garrett snarked.

The man didn’t laugh, “Are you with the Empire? I’ll know if you’re lying.”

“Me, with the Empire? I’m no more affiliated with the Empire than the guy I buy groceries from.”

The man paused, then removed the knife, putting it back in its sheath. “I believe you. That still doesn’t explain why you were following me, though.”

“I think you already know why,” Garrett mused. “My sister sensed you, and you sensed her back.”

Again, the man paused, before finally pulling his hood back. He was quite handsome, if Garrett had to say so himself, with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, warm amber eyes, and rather nice cheekbones. The man spoke, “And you wanted to see if she’d sensed a Jedi or an Inquisitor.”

“One can never be too careful. Still, you had to know what you sensed wasn’t an Inquisitor, seeing as she doesn’t have a shred of the Dark Side in her.”

“Perhaps not, but some Inquisitors are good at hiding themselves, and sometimes they’ll use a friendly presence in the Force to lure us out.”

“Well, we can assure you that we’re on the level.” Garrett looked the man up and down, “You’re much too cute to be an Inquisitor anyway.”

The man graced him with a smile, “True.” He held out his hand, “I’m Anders, by the way.”

Garrett accepted the hand and shook it, “Garrett Hawke.”

“Nice meeting you, Garrett. Well, I must be off.” 

Anders turned to leave, when Garrett spoke again. “Leaving so soon, we’ve only just met.”

“Trust me, you don’t want me around you. I’ll only cause you trouble.”

“Please, trouble happens to us all the time. My sister would love to meet you, she hasn’t met another Jedi since our father became one with the Force.”

Anders paused for a few moments, then turned back to Garrett. “Seeing as you’re probably not going to let me talk you out of it, I suppose it couldn’t hurt. But, I do have to be gone by tonight, because I’ve got plans.”

“Jedi plans?” Garrett asked, smirking.

“Something like that.”

* * *

The door to Gamlen’s shack opened and Garrett stepped through. Leandra and Bethany ran forward, “You’re home,” Leandra said, outwardly relieved. She then saw the man accompanying her son. “And you’ve brought a friend.”

Bethany looked at the newcomer as he closed the door behind him. “You’re the man from the market.”

“Even better, he’s no Inquisitor,” Garrett grinned, putting his hand on Anders’ shoulder.

Bethany’s face lit up. “I knew it! I knew I sensed a Jedi!”

Off in another room, an older man groaned, “Wonderful, _more_ bloody Jedi.”

Leandra scowled in her brother’s general direction, before going to get the lot of them some tea. Carver declined, choosing to go into the cramped bedroom he shared with his siblings and look over the holonet for a while. Garrett, Bethany and Anders gathered around the tiny dining table, which was the only place to sit. Leandra sat down with them once she brought the tea.

“Are you really a Jedi?” The older woman asked, pouring their guest the first cup.

“More like former Jedi, I’m afraid,” Anders said, taking a sip of tea. “I was just a teenager when the purge happened, and never made it past Padawan before we were declared enemies of the Empire. But, really, when there’s no Jedi Order anymore, I suppose things like that don’t really matter.”

“Our father was a Jedi too,” Garrett said. “But, he left the Jedi Order years before the purge to marry our mother. Apparently the Council wasn’t too happy with him over that.”

“Nor were our grandparents,” Bethany added. “They wanted Mother to marry a man of high-status in the name of noble family ties, and instead she ran off with our father to Ferelden.”

“They might have forgiven you for marrying that Jedi,” Gamlen grumbled, having come into the room to retrieve a datapad. “Were it not for the fact that he was a Ferelden commoner by blood. And then of course, the Emperor had to go and declare the Jedi traitors.”

“Yet he’s not the one who got the house repossessed by the Empire,” Garrett pointed out. Gamlen just grumbled something under his breath and went into the next room.

“Sadly, my husband no longer with us,” Leandra said wistfully.

Anders nodded, “Your son told me that was the case. I’m sorry.”

As Garrett looked over at Anders, he thought he saw something in his eyes. Sadness, perhaps. Maybe a little wistfulness and regret.

“I’ve also been told your children are smugglers,” Anders said. Garrett wondered if he’d changed the topic deliberately. “I hear that’s pretty exciting.”

Leandra fixed her eyes on Garrett. “I do wish you would give up this life of smuggling. Every time you leave I worry that you won’t be coming back, what with the Empire cracking down. There has to be a more legitimate way of making money for us. What about the Reinholds?” Leandra smiled slightly. “Their daughter has quite a thing for you, I’m sure if you asked, her father could easily give you and Carver jobs with any of the businesses he owns.”

“You mean helping to build TIEs or real estate?” Garrett replied sarcastically.

Anders set his cup down. “Maybe this was a bad time. Besides, I have things to do.”

“Right, the Jedi business,” Garrett said, much more cheery now.

“Jedi business?” Carver asked, coming out of the room. Garrett wondered how long he’d been eavesdropping.

“I got wind that there’s a slaving operation here on Kirkwall. Some citizens are being forced to mine down in the Bone Pit, on the outskirts of town. My sources say that it’s a gang of pirates.”

“And you intend to just charge in there and save everybody all by yourself?” Garrett asked.

“I mean, I am a Jedi. We’d do stuff like that all the time back before the purge. There are legends of Jedi taking on entire armies just by their lonesome.”

Garrett stood. “Well, this one you’re not going to do by your lonesome, because I’m going with you.”

Everybody looked at Garrett. “You can’t be serious,” Carver said.

“Why not? Jedi or not, it might be handy if I go with him for backup.”

Anders paused, long enough that Garrett was about to ask if he was alright, before he said, “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I mean, these are just pirates.”

“If you’re going, then so am I,” Bethany declared.

Leandra frowned. “You just got back from almost being killed by pirates, and now you want to go chasing some more? What about Minister Elthina, surely she can help with this.”

“Please, Elthina doesn’t even give Stormtroopers a slap on the wrist,” Garrett snorted. “Look at it this way, mother, we’ll be helping people and there may be pirate treasure that we can confiscate for some extra credits.”

Leandra sighed. She knew that there was no talking her son out of this kind of thing when he was dead set on it. She looked at Carver, which made the young man sign, “Fine, I guess I’ll go too.”

“Great,” Hawke beamed. He looked at Anders. “So when do we leave?”

* * *

Garrett landed the _Hawke’s Talon_ near a large rock outcropping, hidden from view, especially at this time of night, with only the stars and both moons for illumination. All four of them exited the shuttle and crouched down, creeping towards the quarry that made up a large portion of the Bone Pit.

Upon reaching the quarry, they got on their stomachs and gazed downward. The quarry was awash with floodlights. They could see the miners bringing ore out in carts, before loading their cargo into shuttles for transport. But, something wasn’t right. This didn’t look to be a pirate operation.

Anders looked through the electrobinoculars and froze. “Uh oh.”

Garrett raised an eyebrow. “Uh oh?” Taking out his own electrobinoculars, he looked into the Bone Pit and frowned. “Uh oh, indeed.”

Stormtroopers. At least a dozen of them were stationed around the quarry, blasters in hand, watching the workers, and waving hands to indicate the slavers should move along. Taking a look at the nearest ship, there was the Imperial symbol emblazoned in black.

“This isn’t pirates, it’s the bloody Empire,” Carver growled, looking sharply at Anders. “Did you know about this?”

“I swear by the Force, my sources said it was pirates,” Anders insisted. “Either they got their own intel wrong, or they lied to me.”

“So what do we do?” Bethany asked, frowning sadly. “Just go back and leave these people?”

Garrett looked through his electrobinoculars again. Many of the slaves were elves, along with a few humans, and even a couple of Twi’leks. Down in the quarry, a miner tripped and dropped his load. The stormtrooper kicked him, pointing his blaster. The man stood up, his feet shaky, and picked his load back up, getting back in line.

“No way,” Garrett said. “We came here to do a job, and that’s what we’re doing.” Looking over, he saw Anders smiling at him. The Jedi looked away quickly.

“Alright, first, we’ll need a way to sneak down into the quarry,” Anders said. “Then, we’ll need to disable the ships and free the slaves. I brought some stuff that will take care of the ships, and if we take out those Stormtroopers, then the slaves can escape.”

“Okay, so how do we get down there without being seen,” Carver asked. “There’s just the one path down into the quarry.”

“Well, when the plan was just going to involve me, I was going to use my Jedi skills to just jump down,” Anders said. “But, I might have another idea.” He turned to Bethany. “Have you ever used to Force to lift anything heavy?”

“Just once or twice,” she replied, no doubt seeing where he was going. “But I never mastered it. I nearly crushed my big brother trying to lift a heavy boulder because I couldn’t hold onto it.”

“It was a nice try, Bethany,” Garrett assured her.

“Okay, that’s alright,” Anders said. “I can lower your brothers down myself, one at a time, then you can I can leap down. Can you do that?”

Bethany nodded. “Yes, I can do that much.”

Anders passed out some power packs to the others, telling them to spread out and put the devices on the mining ships once they were in the quarry. Next, he used the Force to slowly lower Garrett, then Carver, down into the quarry, far from the floodlights, before he and Bethany leapt down after them, using their Jedi reflexes to land without harm.

All four of them crept out, careful to stay out of the floodlights and keeping track of the Stormtroopers’ patrol patterns. Carver crept over to the generator powering the floodlights on the left side of the quarry, opened it up, and disconnected some wires, causing them to shut off. Quickly, he crept away, hiding behind a minecart. As expected, a pair of Stormtroopers were on their way to check the generator. They wouldn’t have much time.

Using the minecarts, ships, lifters and boulders as cover, they crept through the quarry, planting the power packs on the underside of the ships. Each time a Stormtrooper came near one of them, they froze, ducking down and laying low before the trooper moved on.

The right side of the quarry proved to be a bit tricker, because the floodlights were still on over there. Anders took care of it, using the Force to make a medium-sized rock fly over and smash into the generator. That made a lot more noise than Carver’s method, but it got the Stormtroopers running over to see what was going on, giving them a little more leeway to plant the packs.

Anders crept over to join Garrett behind a loader. “Now what?” The smuggler asked.

“Follow my lead.”

Reaching for his belt, Anders withdrew a silver handle. Garrett didn’t need to be told what it was.

Stepping out from behind the loader, Anders opened his lightsaber, his body awash in a green glow. The distinctive sound, and the glow, got the attention of every single Stormtrooper.

“Jedi! Get him!”

The troopers converged on Anders, firing at him. Anders deflected the blaster bolts easily. Garrett used the distraction to find different cover, off to the side, where he could cover Anders. Taking out his blaster, he shot at some of the Stormtroopers, causing them to divert their attention.

Peeking out, Garrett saw Bethany run to a group of captives, who then proceeded to run to the path out of the quarry. Carver did the same.

It didn’t take long for the Stormtroopers to notice this and start running after the escaping prisoners. Carver drew his rifle and gave his sister some cover fire while she urged more slaves to run. The other captives seemed to get the hint that they were being rescued and followed their fellows.

“That’s our cue to exit,” Anders shouted over the blaster fire. There were only a few Stormtroopers still standing. Anders thrust his hand out and pushed them away with the Force, before he and Garrett made a run for it, towards the path. Carver was waiting for them at the bottom. Bethany was near the top of the path, leading the slaves to the _Hawke’s Talon_ , as they’d planned.

More blaster fire came at them, some of the Stormtroopers having gotten up, or called for backup. Anders took a small device from his pocket and pressed the button. The quarry echoed with explosions as the power packs detonated beneath the mining shuttles, Stormtroopers sent flying with the force of the blasts.

Satisfied, the three men began to run up the path out of the quarry, where the ship awaited. Carver yelped as a bolt hit him in the shoulder. Garrett nearly stopped to ask if he was alright, but Carver just pushed past him with a snarl. They followed him up, until they reached the top of the path and from there it was a straight shot to the ship.

Once inside, Garrett rushed to the cockpit. Bethany was already seated in her usual spot, while Carver took his own seat and Anders popped himself into the copilot seat next to Garrett.

“Everybody accounted for?” Garrett asked, flipping switches to start the liftoff sequence.

“They said this is everybody,” Bethany replied. “They’re in the cargo hold for now.”

Outside, the Stormtroopers had reached the top and there was no hiding the sound of repulsor lifts. They ran towards the noise, firing at the ship when it came into view.

Once they were high enough, Garrett turned the ship at a sharp right turn and sped off, into the air and out of firing range.

Once the Bone Pit was just a speck on the rader, they relaxed. Carver groaned, cradling his shoulder. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he was really starting to feel it.

“Don’t suppose we have any painkillers in the medkid?”

Anders turned in his seat. “I might be able to do you one better, if you’ll let me.”

Carver raised an eyebrow. “You gonna magic the pain away?”

“Actually, yes.”

This time all three siblings regarded Anders with wide eyes. “You can do that?” Bethany asked.

“It’s called Force Healing. It’s not a terribly common power, and requires a certain finesse with the Force, but it’s doable.”

Carver sighed, “Might as well.” He took his hand away from his shoulder.

Anders got up and examined the wound. The skin was burnt, and bleeding. Anders’ face scrunched in concentration as he gently touched the wound. Carver hissed.

“Okay, stand still.”

Focusing on the wound, Anders poured his power into it, willing the Force to fix it, to make the flesh whole again. Before their eyes, Caver’s skin mended itself, the burns vanishing, like it hadn’t even been there. The only evidence that he’d been hurt was the blood remaining on his skin.

Anders stood erect, satisfied. “There we go. Good as new.”

Carver looked at the newly-fixed shoulder, then said, “Thanks, I guess.”

“Never a dull moment with a Jedi,” Garrett quipped, turning back to face the front.

* * *

Imperial Captain Cullen Rutherford looked at the chaos. Mining ships, destroyed, and indentured servants, lost. It would take a long time before they could get back on track. He ordered the nearest Stormtrooper to call for a repair team, before he pulled his commlink out.

“Commander Stannard, I believe we have a slight problem.”


	2. Chapter 2

After escaping the Bone Pit, Hawke had dropped the freed prisoners off at the spaceport, where they could safely get off world. Some of them had wished to stay, but Anders had pointed out that the Empire could easily recapture them if they went home. Many of them had been injured from working down in those mines, something Anders had taken care of. Before they'd left, the freed prisoners promised that they would never forget the Jedi healer who saved them, or his compatriots.

With all of that taken care of, Hawke had flown to the _Hawke's Talon_ outside of the city to the coastal area, the Wounded Coast, to lay low for a while. He'd even given Anders his own set of quarters. It hadn't taken long for the lot of them to conk right out upon laying down in their respective berths.

It was morning now, and Garrett groaned and stretched as he awoke, getting all the kinks out, before rising to get cleaned up.

As a ship meant for long trips, the _Hawke's Talon_ had a small 'fresher and kitchenette. It only had one shower and toilet, but the shower was a water shower rather than just a sonic. Sometimes the mornings could be a race to see who got to use the 'fresher first, but the twins were still asleep, so Garrett had first dibs. Once he was cleaned up, Bethany had awoken and was waiting her turn, and she wasted no time while Garrett went to prepare some caf.

Morning beverage in hand, Garrett walked to the cockpit to just sit in silence, sipping from his mug. He liked to sit in here sometimes, just collect his thoughts.

Looking out the cockpit window, he noticed a green light just outside, flashing along the beach.  
Taking his caf with him, Garrett walked outside.

Anders, lightsaber in hand, danced along the beach, all smooth pivots and sidestepping, his green blade swinging through the air like a staff or baton. The tip skidded the sand as he swung downward, before going into a smooth uppercut. Turning on the tips of his toes, Anders twirled in place and swung sideways at invisible opponents.

It was almost like watching a ballet. Garrett found himself mesmerized.

It wasn't long before Anders stood in a resting position and closed his lightsaber.

"How long have you been up?" Garrett asked.

"Only about an hour," Anders put his lightsaber away and approached the other man. Hawke offered his mug of caf, but Anders politely shook his head. Anders looked at the ground, then back up at Garrett. "I should apologize. Had I known it was the Empire running that operation, I wouldn't..."

Garrett held up a hand and cut him off, "Are you kidding? It actually felt kind of good to stick it to the Empire."

“Still, keep this up and you might find yourself with a target on your back.”

“Bring it on,” Hawke replied, a witty smirk on his lips. Anders couldn’t help but smile back at Garrett’s confidence.

The two of them sat on the ship’s ramp, looking out at the sea, smelling the salt air and listening to the sea birds caw overhead.

“I meant to ask,” Anders said, “What brought your family to Kirkwall?”

“The Empire,” Garrett replied, taking a sip of caf. “A civil war just broke out on our home planet, Ferelden, between the inhabitants and the Empire. My brother and I got wind that the Empire was going to march through our home town, looking for unwilling conscripts. Mother’s originally from Kirkwall, and she figured that since we had family and an estate here, we could just lay low.” He sighed. “Turns out this world isn’t any better. If anything, the Empire has an even bigger choke hold on this world than Ferelden. Not to mention finding out there is no estate because your uncle is bad with credits.”

“It’s funny, but I’m actually from Ferelden too. I mean, my family were from the Anderfels sector, but I was born and raised in Ferelden, before my powers manifested and I was taken to the Jedi temple on Coruscant.”

“What was it like there?” Garrett asked. “I mean, before Palpatine took over everything.”

“Being a Jedi,” Anders paused. “It wasn’t as wonderful as the stories make it out to be. I mean, I had friends there, some of whom I was very close with, but we’re told that we can’t form meaningful attachments, because that will tempt us towards the dark side.”

“Yet you can still have friendships and take on students, even though those are basically attachments,” Garrett pointed out, a bit of snark in his voice.

“You know, I actually pointed that out once,” Anders smiled at Garrett. “I was told not to think about that too hard.” Both men shared a brief chuckle, before Anders sombered again. “The Jedi preached that all life was more important than a single individual, that we must strive to protect the whole. But… that always felt too abstract and hollow to me. I mean, what’s the point of protecting life itself if we don’t value _lives_. If that makes any sense.”

“No, it does,” Garrett assured him.

Anders gazed out into the ocean. “We were held up as the protectors of the galaxy, yet for the most part, the Jedi sat on their hands, saying that it wasn’t their place to get involved in certain affairs. Then the Clone Wars broke out, and we found ourselves thrust into a war, because the masters told themselves that it was our duty to protect the galaxy from the threat the Separatists, and Count Dooku, posed. So we accepted a clone army, and found ourselves generals in a war we should have prevented from ever happening.” A beat. “Padawans as young as fourteen were given command positions, and thrust into war.”

Sensing Garrett’s question, Anders said, “I was only twelve when the purge happened, but the thing is… I wasn’t there for it. See, a… friend and I, had decided that if we were going to be Jedi, then it would be on our terms. So we just left, a few months before the purge. We were going to travel the galaxy, righting wrongs, saving people, training each other.”

All at the age of twelve, Garrett thought. What had life with the Jedi been like, that children were forced to mature so quickly. Had Anders really gotten to just be a kid?

Anders hung his head, and got that same sad look in his eye from last night. Garrett gently asked, “What happened to him?”

“The Sith,” Anders whispered. “It happened a year ago. We were on Tatooine, investigating a lead on a possible Jedi survivor. It was a trap, and we found ourselves facing a Sith Inquisitor. He was powerful, and very skilled with a lightsaber. Karl…” Anders paused, sobbing. “I escaped, but he didn’t. The Inquisitor killed him right in front of me. I ran for it, but he tracked me. I went almost to the edge of the Unknown Region, with him tailing me all the while. We dueled on an obscure little world, and he beat me, left me for dead. But, I managed to survive.”

Garrett set his now empty mug down and put a hand on Anders’ arm. The Jedi looked over at Garrett, his eyes red. He didn’t shake off Garrett or give any other indication that the touch was unwelcome.

“There you are,”

Both men looked up, Garrett jerking his hand away from Anders, to see Bethany standing at the top of the ramp. She descended, regarding them both cooly.

“I was wondering,” She said, looking at Anders. “You have more experience at this Jedi and Force stuff, perhaps you had some pointers for me?”

“I’m afraid I’m not much of a teacher, but I can show you a thing or two,” Anders stood and drew his lightsaber. “How about a little match, so I can see your style?”

“Sounds good,” Both of them drew their lightsabers, walking a few feet away from the _Hawke’s Talon_. They both activated their lightsabers, holding the blades in front of their faces to initiate a challenge, before charging at one another.

Garrett sat and watched them. He was glad that Bethany had found another Force-user, having thought it would be too good to be true that there were other Jedi out there after Father had died. It was reasonable to assume that some had survived the purge, though Garrett figured they were hiding from the Empire and didn’t wish to be found. It had been so long since Bethany had let herself use her talents like this, Garrett had worried that she’d gotten rusty. But she took to the sparring sessions like riding a speeder.

Bethany went at Anders with quick blows, only to be blocked every time. Anders fought on the defensive side, getting a feel for Bethany’s style, before going for an attack. The blade stopped just an inch away from her leg, before Anders drew back.

“Did you father train you?”

“Yes,” The two exchanged blows once more, the blades sizzling as they clashed, green against green. “He taught me everything he knew.”

“Clearly he was a good teacher,” Anders feighted to the right, which caught Bethany off guard. He swung for her neck, only for her to quickly swing her blade up so that it faced across her, blocking his move.

Anders leapt back, only to spring forward and aim a powerful swing. Bethany panicked and thrust her hand out, pushing him away with the Force. Startled, Anders flew backwards, landing on his arse in the sand, his lightsaber rolling out of his hand and deactivating.

Immediately, Bethany’s hand went to her mouth and she rushed forward. “I’m sorry! It was a reflex!”

Anders sat up, and smiled up at her. “If I’d been a Sith, you’d be perfectly within your right to do that. Trust me, most of them don’t fight fair.” He retrieved his lightsaber and put it back on his belt, “I think that’s enough for now.” Bethany nodded and closed her own lightsaber.

Garrett approached them, “Well, that was entertaining. Now, I don’t think we were able to give you a proper tour of the _Hawke’s Talon_.”

* * *

The rest of the morning was spent doing maintenance on the _Hawke’s Talon_ , while Anders and Bethany exchanged stories and experiences. After lunch, the two Jedi had gone back outside for more sparring.

Once they’d gotten tired, Anders used the ‘fresher to clean up, before going to his assigned quarters to meditate. Bethany had insisted that Anders use the shower first, since he was the guest.

Sitting on the floor, Anders put his hands on his knees and closed his eyes. He tuned out the world around him, turning his thoughts inward.

The Hawkes were an interesting family. Bethany was kind and showed great potential to be a powerful Force-user. To think, were it not for her father, she would have been sent to the Jedi Temple, and never known this family of her’s. Carver, there was a lot of bitterness within him, not being Force-sensitive like his father and sister, and feeling that he was always in his more talented brother’s shadow.

Garrett… Garrett was good-hearted, strong, smart, and handsome. 

He’d helped Anders, put himself in danger, without thought for himself, even after finding out that the Empire was behind the slaving operation. He could have gotten in his ship and left the Jedi to save everybody himself, but he’d stayed, because it was the right thing to do. Anders hadn’t even had to ask him.

Anders signed. “No. I can’t think of him like that.” He wasn’t just talking to himself.

_**Karl would want you to move on.**_

“I know. But… I’m a wanted man. The Empire might find out that I’m not dead, or an Inquisitor might just stumble across me. I can’t put him through that.”

_**The danger or the heartbreak?**_

“Both, either. Does it matter? Besides, what future could I give him?”

_**You are being too hard on yourself again. What happened to Karl was not your fault. Besides, you enjoy his company too much to just leave.**_

Anders sighed. “I hate it when you’re right.”

The voice fell into a satisfied silence, and Anders resumed his meditation.


	3. Chapter 3

After another day spent on the Wounded Coast, Garrett figured it was safe enough for them to go back into the city. With the _Hawke’s Talon_ at port, the four of them returned to Galmen’s tiny home. The moment they were through the door, Leandra began fussing over them, saying how worried she’d been. Garrett confessed that he thought it was too dangerous to send her a message.

They asked her if there was any interesting news on the holonet, worried that their faces might be all over Kirkwall by now. There was a report about how a ‘legitimate Empire mining operation’ was disrupted by a group strongly suspected of being rebels, but because it was dark and the situation chaotic, the Stormtroopers hadn’t been able to identify the culprits, or the make and model of the ship used to escape. All that was known that was a pair of Jedi had been involved.

The authorities were demanding that if anyone had any information on a pair of Jedi, then they were obligated to report it, or face charges of treason and execution.

“The local Stormtrooper Commander certainly is charming,” Garrett snarked, once he’d read the holo-news for himself. The family and Anders were lounging around the tiny house, with Bethany standing at Garrett’s side, Anders sitting in a tiny, worn-down chair, and Leandra pacing around. Carver had retreated to the shared bedroom, and Gamlen was in the kitchen, pretending that he wasn’t listening in.

“How much you want to bet that she’s the one who organized that whole operation,” Anders said darkly. “Her or that Imperial Captain the report mentioned. Note that it didn’t mention that those workers were slaves.”

The whole thing made Garrett feel sick. That the Empire could just take people, those desperate to pay off debts or even just taken in the middle of the night, to work in harsh conditions, it wasn’t right. He wished he could just go to Coruscant and kick Palpatine in the face, or go to the governor and demand that he do something about it. But he was just one person, and rocking the boat would just put his family in danger.

“I think I need to get some air,” Garrett said, standing up. “Perhaps I’ll stroll around Hightown for a while. Anybody want to come?”

Bethany declined, opting to meditate for a while instead, but Anders took him up on the offer.

“Enjoy my company do you?” Garrett asked slyly.

Anders blushed, “Don’t flatter yourself, flyboy.”

* * *

The Hightown market had many varieties of shops and stalls, selling much more varied and expensive items than one would find in Lowtown and especially Darktown. Anders and Garrett passed by shops selling fancy clothing, jewelry, technology, and even a speeder lot selling the latest models.

Over the horizon, one could see the mansions that dotted the residential area of the town. Anders wondered how many times Gamlen’s shack could fit into just one of those mansions.

“Your uncle said that he and your mother were originally nobility,” Anders mused. “I’m guessing that they used to live here.”

“You would be correct,” Garrett replied, eyeing a Rodian selling jogan fruit pastries. He tore his eyes away, shaking his head.

“She must have really loved your father if she gave all this up to marry him.”

Garrett nodded. “I think part of her always missed this, and regretted leaving her family, but in the end, she still loved Father and wouldn’t throw away what they had. These days I just worry that she’ll be known as the woman who caused a Jedi to stray from his path.”

“Honestly, he must have been having those thoughts already,” Anders pointed out. “Of leaving, I mean.”

A warbling beep caught their attention. There was a droid shop with a few astromechs on display outside. The store’s sign said that they sold droids refurbished and brand new, had everything from R2 units to R4s, and various protocol droids that spoke up to three-hundred languages.

Garrett eyed the droids for a moment, and in that moment, Anders could sense a desire to splurge. To just spend all the hard-earned credits on one of those droids. Just as he’d done with the pastries, though, he shook his head and turned away, continuing his walk. Anders looked after him, then at the droids, before turning back and following his friend.

“You wanted to buy one,” It wasn’t a question

Garrett signed. “The _Hawke’s Talon_ and _Sparrow’s Wing_ could use a good astromech droid. You know, for navigation and maintenance purposes. But, you saw how much they cost, and even a used one would set us back too much. And I’m not so lucky that an astromech droid will just stumble across us, and would just so happen to be without a pilot.”

“How did you acquire that ship, anyway?”

“I bought it second-hand from a ship junker on Ferelden. Thing was practically falling apart, so I got a good deal on it, plus the attached shuttle. The hard part was getting it to my liking and space-worthy. It took me months of saving up, doing odd jobs and the occasional under-the-table operation, to buy the parts I needed to fix the thing up.”

“Well, I must say that you did an excellent job. The thing flies so smoothly.”

“Thanks,” Anders felt a thrill of pride from the other man. He turned to see Garrett smiling at him. He had a lovely smile.

“Sometimes I wonder what happened to the Seperatist droids after the Clone Wars ended,” Anders said casually, changing the subject. “I mean, I know they got shut down, but then, did the Empire just have them all sent to scrap yards or were they recycled?”

“I heard that the Separatists would sometimes use protocol and astromech droids as spies,” Garrett said. “Especially when everybody treats droids like furniture.”

“Hence why most people got into the habit of routinely wiping their memory banks. Pretty immoral if you ask me, since you’re essentially erasing that droid’s personality and who they are. I mean, sure, erasing the last hour of their memory so they can’t remember recent hyperspace jumps is one thing, but to just wipe them clean? That’s the same as killing them.”

“Couldn’t have said it any better myself. Well, rest assured that if I do ever get an astromech for the _Hawke’s Talon_ , they’ll be treated with utmost respect.”

Anders gave his friend that same smile that he had back at the Bone Pit, when Garrett had promised not to abandon the slaves.

Their walk took them close to the district where the Capitol building resided, looming over the city like an ominous titan. Anders looked up at it. That building seemed to embody the hold the Empire had over Kirkwall, casting a dark shadow over not just this city, but the entire planet.

"You cannot just keep sitting on your hands, Minister."

Anders and Garrett paused, their heads turning in the direction of the speaker.

An elven man, possibly in his 40s, with prematurely grey hair, was addressing Minister Elthina, who simply looked at him with an expression of serenity. There was already a small crowd gathered around, so they both went over to listen in. Garrett had only seen the woman on the holonet before today.

"So angry and frustrated," She said. “But will this anger really solve anything.” She sounded almost kindly, but the way she was speaking to the man rubbed Anders the wrong way.

"Two Stormtroopers came into Lowtown and took most of Gib's fruit," The elf reminded her. “Do you know how much of a dent that puts into his profits?”

"The Stormtroopers work hard to protect the citizens of the Empire," Elthina stated, her demeanor still infuriatingly calm. "All they ask is that we do our part. Gib should feel proud that his wares are going to the good of the Empire. I'm sure that if you explain this to him then there will be no more incidents."

"You mean he just needs to shut up and take it," The elf snorted. He looked like he was about to say more when the chrono on his wrist beeped. He looked at it for a second, then hurried off, but not before glancing at Anders and Garrett.

Some of the crowd had begun to walk off, but Garrett instead approached Elthina, Anders at his side. He sensed that the smuggler had something to say, and Anders found that emboldening.

"Stormtroopers basically rob a merchant and you're not going to do anything about it?"

Elthina smiled up at him. "Now what would that gain anyone? If I were to step in, the Stormtroopers would simply complain right back, and then there would be a conflict that helps nobody. It is better for the Stormtroopers to work things out with the merchants and the rest of Kirkwall's citizens."

"And what if the Stormtroopers do this so often that it runs the merchant out of business,"

Anders chimed in then. "And this forces the merchant to swear themselves into slavery?"

"You mean indentured servitude," Elthina stated.

"Call it whatever you want, it's still slavery," Anders said. "What about that operation down at the Bone Pit? Even you cannot justify that."

"What happened there recently was unfortunate. So much death and destruction, but Captain Rutherford and Commander Stannard have gotten things under control, and are looking into getting the operation going again."

In other words, they'd freed those slaves, but had only temporarily disrupted that whole thing. The Empire would just find new slaves, and they would be back in business. Garrett felt bile in his mouth for a moment.

"And the workers who surely got hurt while mining down there?" Garrett asked.

"My thoughts go out to them. I would not wish to have been down there, myself," Elthina said. Garrett thought it was impossible to dislike this woman more than he already did. She then smiled again, looking almost grandmotherly. "But enough of those unpleasant matters. You are Leandra Amell's son, are you not?"

Garrett blinked, "How did you...?"

"I ran into your mother earlier this week, while you were on a courier assignment."  
That was the cover story. Garrett had told his mother to tell Empire officials that her children were couriers, basically glorified mail carriers. He was honestly surprised that anyone bought that.

"It is good that your family has returned to Kirkwall," Elthina went on. "When your mother regains her status, I'm certain the nobility will be thrilled to meet you and your siblings. Or, better yet, the Empire could use men of your fortitude, especially with the growing discontent."

That bile came back up in Garrett's throat. "That's very thoughtful of you," He managed to get out, even as he wanted to go off on this woman. "But right now we're just taking it one step at a time. Now if you'll excuse us, we must be going."

Not even giving the woman a second glance, he took Anders by the arm and guided him away. It wasn't until they were at least five blocks away that he finally let it all out, "By the Force, she cannot be that clueless."

"Not clueless," Anders confirmed, his eyes narrowed. "Not clueless at all, I assure you."

Garrett ran his fingers through his hair. Anders sensed his sorrow. Sorrow at what the Empire did, what Elthina was allowing rather than protecting her people, and sorrow that perhaps what they’d done hadn’t really mattered.

Anders reached out and put a hand on Garrett’s arm. “It mattered to those we saved, Garrett.”

Rather than get mad at Anders for sensing his thoughts, Garrett smiled faintly, “You’re right.” He signed. “I just wish we could do more, you know.”

“I know. I do too. More than anything.”

They looked into each others’ eyes for a moment that seemed to stretch out forever, even if it was only a couple of seconds in reality. Then Garrett said, “Come on, I know a place where we can get a drink.”

“I don’t drink, actually.”

“That’s okay, they also serve juice.”

* * *

The Stormtrooper garrison stood near the junction of the Hightown spaceport and the roads that took one to Lowtown. Like the Capitol Building, it too was a symbol of the Empire’s iron grip on Kirkwall. Citizens wouldn’t come within a mile of the garrison.

Stormtrooper Commander Meredith Stannard stood in her office, gazing out of the vast window and into the city beyond. She had a reputation, even among the other Stormtroopers, for her tight grip on the city and its citizens. Many of Kirkwall’s citizens feared her.

At her side was Imperial Captain Cullen Rutherford, his olive green uniform crisp, datapad in hand. “I’m sorry to say, Commander, that we still have no identification on those two Jedi or their accomplices. All of our inquiries about the workers have also turned up dead ends, I’m afraid.”

The few who had families had been questioned, but it seemed that the Jedi hadn’t taken them home, but right to the spaceport. By now those escaped slaves could be anywhere, and it would take days, even weeks, to track them all down, by which point the Jedi could cause even more trouble.

“Their presence in Kirkwall cannot be tolerated,” Meredith stated coldly. “The law is clear on this. All Jedi are enemies of the Empire.”

“Unfortunately, it seems that nobody in the city knows anything about them. Either that or they’re lying to protect them.” It had put a bad taste in Cullen’s mouth. He had hoped that at least one person on Kirkwall would have seen something and come forward. “Do you intend to have your men hunt them down, Commander?”

Meredith shook her head, “I have sent for someone already. They will be arriving shortly, and my Stormtroopers may continue to keep the peace.”

Cullen had to admire the woman. Two insurgents pop up overnight, and already she made plans to take care of it. Just as well, since word had spread about the Jedi, and that would prove dangerous if not nipped in the bud. If the citizens thought the Jedi were back, then they might get ideas.

Meredith’s commlink beeped, and she answered it. A man on the other end told her that a shuttle had just entered the atmosphere and requested to land at the garrison. Meredith told him to give the shuttle clearance, before ending the call.

“Come, Captain, let us see to our guest.”

“Yes, Commander.”

By the time the two reached the garrison’s attached shuttle bay, the guest’s ship was already pulling in for a landing. With a hiss of gas escaping, the shuttle lit down and opened up. For a moment, nobody came down the ramp. Then the sound of boots on metal filled the bay, and the mysterious guest appeared.

Standing at the top of the ramp was a tall man in a black tunic, with matching pants, boots and a helmet. He radiated an air of darkness about him, and he stood there arrogantly, like he thought the two before him weren’t even worth his time.

This was a Sith Inquisitor.

Descending the ramp, the Inquisitor addressed Meredith, “I am the Sixth Brother. You are Commander Meredith, I presume? You were the one who called for assistance, I take it.”

Meredith had that look of someone forced to work with a mortal enemy. Cullen had to resist the urge to scowl at the Sith, finding his presence here utterly distasteful. If the Inquisitor sensed anything from them, he made no indication.

“Two Jedi have been seen on Kirkwall.” Meredith stated. “I want them dealt with.”

“You _want_ them dealt with?” The Inquisitor smiled in an amused way. “You presume that you have the right to give me orders? “

Meredith stared daggers into the Inquisitor. Cullen scowled at the Sith along with her. The Inquisitor just smirked that smug smile of his in return.

“Rest assured, I intend to hunt these Jedi down, but not because some Stormtrooper and her bootlicker want them gone. These Jedi will submit to the Dark Side, or they will die. As simple as that.”

The Sixth Brother brushed past the two of them without another word. Once he was far enough away, Cullen turned to Meredith.

“Is this wise, Commander? Calling in a Sith? Perhaps we should have called in the Seekers, or even asked to borrow some Death Troopers.”

“I do not like it either, Captain. The Force allows for all manner of unnatural things. Things that man was not meant to be able to do. That the people would choose to protect these Jedi disgusts me to no end.” Cullen nodded in agreement. “However, sometimes one must fight fire with fire. If this Inquisitor can dispose of these Jedi, then there are two less Force users in the galaxy.”

“I cannot fault your logic, Commander.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case it wasn't clear, this fic probably isn't for you if you like Cullen, or are pro-Templar.


	4. Chapter 4

Hightown was home to many nice cantinas, where one could get a drink and enjoy some pleasant entertainment, including local bands who played all kinds of music. The drinks were said to be quite good, ranging from strong, dark liquors to softer cocktails that looked too pretty to drink.

The Hanged Man in Lowtown was a different story. The drinks tasted like a Kowakian monkey-lizard had bathed in the mug and the only entertainment were the holonet screen in the corner and drunken patrons starting a fistfight every once in a while.

Garrett still prefered the atmosphere of the Hanged Man to the places up in Hightown, even without taking into account that Imperials tended to favor those places over the Hanged Man.

As promised, the cantina served non-alcoholic beverages, so Anders sipped at a glass of shuura juice while Garrett nursed a mug of whisky. The smuggler thankfully hadn’t pried when it came to Anders’ drink choices, even if Anders had sensed that Garrett wouldn’t blame Anders for having a perfectly good reason to drink with all the turns his life had taken.

As they drank their beverages, Anders looked around at the various patrons. There were a pair of drunken Twi’leks in the corner having a pissing contest about something or other, some elves talking in hushed whispers, a Qunari standing around looking menacing, a Rodian flirting with a Zabrak, and various other patrons just drinking or chatting while drinking. It was just one more thing to like about the Hanged Man, because the Hightown cantinas were far less welcoming of alien customers. The only welcome aliens in those establishments were scantily clad Twi’lek dancers. At the Hanged Man, the only way one was going to see a Twi’lek dance would be if they got so drunk they just had to let loose.

What caught Anders’ eye most of all was the bit of wall-art over by the bar. It was a decal of an abstract design, which Anders assumed was either a bird or a dragon, done in red paint.

“You like that?” Garrett asked.

Anders looked back at his friend and nodded. “It’s very striking. I like the style.”

“I’m glad. Because that’s actually my work.”

Anders’ eyebrows rose. “Oh. Well, in that case, I love it even more, because I personally know the artist.”

Garrett chuckled. “I dabble sometimes. I mainly just draw using my datapad, but the owner wanted something for his wall to liven up the place and talked me into doing it for a bit of coin.”

“I’m not an artist, but I do like to look at art sometimes. Karl and I once found ourselves on Alderaan in time for a huge art festival.”

“I imagine you two must have gone on many adventures after leaving the Jedi.”

“We did,” Anders looked back at the symbol, a far-off look in his eye. Garrett didn’t pry. He knew that Anders had to open up on his own terms.

A nearby patron, apparently tired of the program playing on the holonet screen, asked the bartender to flip channels. The bartender shrugged and did as the patron asked. The second he did, the screen displayed a news report.

Earlier that day, an unidentified person had tossed rotten fruit at a Stormtrooper from atop a roof and ducked away before the soldier could see who had done it. It had happened in a less crowded area of Lowtown, and if there were any eyewitnesses, they weren’t coming forward. The reporter went on to say that Commander Meredith would not tolerate such disrespect to her troops.

The bartender flipped channels again, settling on a nuna-ball game.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite patron.”

Anders and Garrett turned away from the holonet as a dwarf approached them, smiling in a sly manner at Garrett. Most dwarves Anders had met usually had beards and carried some kind of heavy melee weapon. This one, however, was clean shaven, and he had a bowcaster strapped to his back. He also wore his tunic open, showing off some rather impressive chest hair. As the dwarf neared their table, his eyes shifted over to Anders.

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Hawke?”

“Anders, this is Varric, he owns the Hanged Man. Varric, this is Anders. I met him on a recent job and I haven’t been able to shake him since.”

“No kidding?” Varric held out his hand, which Anders shook. “Any friend of Hawke’s is a friend of mine.” He then pointed to the bowcaster on his back. “Same goes for Bianca.”

Anders raised an eyebrow, “Okay then, Bianca.”

Varric looked around at the other patrons, then at the duo. “Why don’t you two come back into my private area?”

Anders hesitated, but Garrett replied, “We’d love to, Varric.”

The smuggler stood, and while Anders still had reservations, he downed the rest of his juice and followed Garrett and Varric to the back of the cantina. Varric led them down a hallway, where the din of the cantina became fainter, until they came upon a door.

“Gentlemen, I welcome you to the Tethras bachelor pad,” Varric pressed a key to the side of the door and it slid open.

The room was rather large, much larger than the tiny room Garrett shared with his siblings. In one corner was a large couch, and in another was a twin-sized bed, both of which looked quite comfortable. In the center was a short table and a tall chair that was just the right size for a dwarf. Anders would have expected the decor to be more dwarven, but the only remotely dwarven thing in the room was a small stone statue sitting on a shelf. Anders figured it was a Paragon idol. Other than that, Varric had a few framed paintings of various subjects, and, interestingly, Hawke’s dragon symbol painted on the wall.

Noticing where Anders was looking, Varric said, “Hawke did that one for free. But please, have a seat, you two.”

Both men sat on the couch together, being careful to not get too close to each other lest they bump elbows. Anders found it interesting that the couch was human-sized. Varric sat at the dwarf-sized chair, turning it to face them both.

“I gotta admit, Hawke, you’ve done some daring things in the past, but that thing down at the Bone Pit was a whole other story.”

Anders froze, and he sensed Garrett tense up.

“We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Garrett insisted.

Varric snorted. “Please, Hawke, you don’t have to play dumb with me. Is there anybody else on this world with the guts to take on the Empire like that and spirit off with a bunch of prisoners?” There probably were, but Garrett saw his point. “Besides, one of my sources say they saw the _Hawke’s Talon_ at the spaceport not long after that whole thing went down.” He regarded Anders. “And that would make you one of the Jedi.”

Anders froze again. “Relax, I’m not about to rat you out,” Varric assured him.

Reaching out with the Force, Anders sensed that Varric meant that. There was no malice, no ulterior motive, and no greed. If anything, Anders just felt amusement from the cantina owner.

“Been years since a Jedi was seen on Kirkwall. Before the Clone Wars, in fact,” Varric mused. “Meredith doesn’t like it.”

“Is there anything she doesn’t hate?” Garrett snarked. That got a snort from Varric.

“Not really,” The dwarf replied. “Still, you two outta be careful. The local Stormtroopers are gonna be looking for you, and you better believe they’ll hurt anyone they suspect of helping or harboring you.”

“Have they been by this cantina?” Anders asked.

“Once or twice,” Varric replied. “Both times I was able to smooth talk ‘em into leaving, and as far as they’re concerned, no Jedi or insurgent has stepped foot in the Hanged Man.”

“I mean, technically that first part was true up until today,” Garrett pointed out. That got another amused smile from Varric.

“True enough. Still, if I were you two, I’d hang low for a while until this whole thing blows over. Assuming it ever does.”

“We’ll take it under advisement,” Garrett promised. Anders didn’t need his Jedi powers to tell that Garrett wasn’t about to make any promises on that front. “I’d better get back home. Mother is probably worried sick that bandits jumped me or that I’ve been arrested.”

“Feel free to come back anytime,” Varric said, watching the two men get back up.

* * *

It was nighttime by the time the two exited the Hanged Man. The streets were barren at this time, with only a few stragglers trying to make curfew still out, along with a few sex workers or those trying to find shelter for the night. The moons weren’t full tonight, so the most light came from the few street lamps and the distant fires of the foundry.

“Do you have some place to stay?” Garrett asked.

Anders looked up at the stars. “Not really. I mean, I can’t exactly check into a hotel room with what little credits I have.”

“You could always stay on the _Hawke’s Talon_. I mean, it’s not unheard of for people to do that.”

“Why are you staying in your uncle’s place instead of on the ship anyway?”

“Mother isn’t exactly keen on the idea of sleeping long term on the _Talon_. Much as she talks about being proud to leave her life of luxury behind to be with Father, I’ve always suspected that the noble part of her never really died. She was looking forward to moving back into her childhood manor.”

“She puts up a brave front,” Anders said.

“I just don’t know if it’ll be possible for her to get her old life back, with the way things are going,” Garrett sighed. “Maybe she could, if I did agree to marry into nobility, or if Carver and I enlisted with the Empire. But I’ll kiss a ranchor on the mouth before I consider either of those options.”

Anders smiled that knowing, sweet smile at Garrett. Garrett had come to like it when Anders smiled at him that way. He looked good when he smiled, and Garrett wanted to make him do it more often.

Anders froze then, and he had a look on his face like he was staring off into the distance. Bethany got that look sometimes too, and Garrett knew what it meant.

“What’s the matter?”

Anders waved his hand, “This way, come on.”

Garrett followed closely behind Anders as he bolted off. The foundry was close by, and for a moment Garrett thought Anders was leading him there. But instead Anders led him past the road leading that direction and instead ran towards the closed-off market.

Seeing the market at this time of night was almost eerie. These streets were usually full of life, and now there were just the empty stalls and shops.

At least, that was the feeling Garrett usually got when roaming around after dark, but at the moment, he was more distracted by the sight of men in white armor.

Two Stormtroopers had cornered a young Twi'lek, his back pressed against a wall while the two troopers pointed their blasters at him. The Twi'lek held something to his chest, quivering hard, his pink skin having gone pale. One of the troopers said something threatening, but the Twi'lek refused to relinquish his cargo, shaking his head.

Leaning over to Garrett, Anders whispered, "I'll distract them. Think you can blast them from this distance?"

"Are Gungans aquatic?"

Garrett had no idea what Anders had in mind, but he trusted the ex-Jedi. He got out his blaster, set it to stun, and waited. He didn’t wish to risk accidentally hitting the civilian and putting a hole in him.

He didn't have to wait very long, because an empty flower pot behind the Stormtroopers rose up into the air a few feet. With a flick of Anders' wrist, the clay pot shot through the air and hit the nearest Stormtrooper in the head, causing him to fall over. His partner turned away from the Twi'lek to see what had happened, and a quick shot from Garrett's blaster knocked him out cold. The first trooper bagan to get up, but another quick stun blast took him out of the fight as well.

With both Stormtroopers knocked out, the two came out of hiding and ran towards the still quivering Twi'lek. Up close, they could see that he was only a teenager, probably sixteen at the least.

"Come on, let's get you somewhere safe," Anders said gently. The boy nodded and allowed both men to lead him down the road. They didn't stop until they were within an alley, well out of sight from where those Stormtroopers had jumped him.

 _“I thank you, Jedi,”_ The boy said, in his native tongue. Luckily both men knew the language and understood what he was saying.

 _“Think nothing of it,”_ Garrett gave the boy an assuring smile. _"What's your name?"_

_“Pasu, sir,”_

_“Pleasure to meet you, Pasu. Can you tell us why those Stormtroopers were threatening you?”_ Garrett asked.

The boy hung his head. _“I stole from the Empire.”_ That earned raised eyebrows from both men. Pasu continued, _“Those Stormtroopers were guarding a landspeeder that was to take some medpacs to the Stormtrooper barracks. I waited until nobody was looking and I swiped one, but I wasn’t quick enough and they saw me. But I had a good reason! It's my brother. He got hurt working at the foundry and his boss refused to give him medical leave or even compensate him. Lirenne fixed him up as best she could, but she ran out of bacta and won't get more in until the end of the week.”_

He loosened his grip on his cargo to show both men, and they saw that it was indeed a medpac. The boy opened it up to show two small vials of bacta among other medical supplies. _“I just needed enough to keep his wound from getting infected and speed up the healing process.”_

Garrett looked over at Anders, saw him clenching his fist so hard that the knuckles were white.

 _“I can help your brother,"_ Anders said, unclenching his fist. _“Can you take me to him?”_

 _“Of course, Master Jedi,”_ Pasu looked relieved, and waved his hand. _“This way.”_

Pasu led them to a rather small landspeeder parked nearby, getting into the driver's seat while Anders and Garrett sat in the back.

It turned out that the boy lived in Darktown. Darktown was built underground, and the road to it went through a tunnel dug into the earth. It was where you lived if you couldn't even afford the slums of Lowtown. Many of the houses were built from cheap materials, if you even lived in a house at all down there. The Empire wouldn't touch Darktown with a ten foot pole, for it was considered beneath their consideration. In some ways, that was a good thing because it meant you were under their radar. Unfortunately, it also meant that it was a hive for criminals. 

After descending through the tunnel and driving over worn-down roads, the Twi'lek parked his speeder just outside a shack that was no bigger than Gamlen's hovel and led Anders and Garrett within.

It was basically a studio apartment in terms of layout. To the right was a kitchenette, the center had a small table for eating meals at, a tiny couch up against the wall, and a pair of beds to the left. There wasn't even much in the way of decor, other than some plants growing in jars, a lamp made from scrap, and a kalikori on a wall-mounted shelf.

Laying in one of the beds was a Twi'lek who was a few years older than Pasu, his eyes closed, pink skin flushed. Anders frowned at the sight of him, for his arm was draped over his chest, covered in bandages, which were beginning to bleed through. Judging by how high up the bandages went and the look of that bloodstain, the man had gotten a nasty gash on his arm, possibly having sliced it open on something.

Anders approached the injured Twi'lek and looked him over. Pasa went to the other side of the bed, gazing down at his brother while wringing his hands.

Gently, Anders laid the tips of his fingers on the bandages, just below the bloodstain, and closed his eyes. Garrett stood by and watched as the injured Twi’lek regained color and his face began to relax. When Anders finished and took his fingers off his patient, he gently began to unwrap the bandages, while Pasu looked on anxiously.

Pasu’s face turned to one of relief and wonder as Anders finished unwrapping the wound. His brother’s arm was completely healed, without so much as a scar. He looked up at Anders with utmost admiration, _“You did that?”_ Anders nodded. Pasu grinned widely, showing off pointed teeth. _“Incredible. I have heard stories of Jedi, but I had no idea they had such power.”_

The young Twi’lek reached over and took Anders’s hand, careful not to disturb his brother. _“How can I ever repay you? We do not have much, but we have some credits to spare.”_

Anders shook his head. _“You need those credits more than I do.”_

_“Well, I cannot just let you go empty-handed.”_

_“Perhaps you could give us a lift back to Lowtown?”_ Garrett suggested.

* * *

During the drive back, Anders kept looking out at the passing scenery, his expression distant. The Empire was content to just ignore Darktown and let those living down there get by on scraps. If the Empire and its Stormtroopers ever went into Darktown, he would bet credits that it wouldn’t be for anything good.

The Jedi had preached to him that he was to heal without compassion for the victims, that he couldn’t let himself feel their pain while he fixed their wounds. Emotion clouded justice, they said, and would only lead him down a path he would regret.

_**Without mercy and compassion, one cannot understand justice or hope to achieve it.**_

Anders thought back, _I trust you on such matters more than any Jedi from the Order. I mean, you of all beings would be the expert on all things justice._

“Got something on your mind?”

Anders blinked, focusing on his surroundings again and looking over at Garrett. The man looked concerned.

“Just thinking about Darktown. How many others are down there who could use a good dose of Force healing, or even just some bacta?”

Garrett patted Anders’ shoulder. “I hear you. Maybe we can do something about it, though. Maybe we can set up a clinic down there, or park the _Hawke’s Talon_ near the entrance and allow patients to come up for healing, or you can make house calls.”

“You’re just filled with solutions, aren’t you?” Anders smiled pleasantly at Garrett.

“What can I say, I’m an idea man. Besides, someone has to look out for those the Empire refuses to even glance at.”

Just when Anders thought he couldn’t like Hawke more than he already did, he said things like that. It gave him hope that perhaps things would get better. Hope was in short supply in these dark times, but looking at Garrett, he had hope for a better Kirkwall. Perhaps even a better galaxy.

“You know,” Anders said. “We never did figure out where I can stay.”

“You can crash on Gamlen’s couch tonight. If he complains, I give you permission to use a Jedi mind trick on him.”


	5. Chapter 5

Gamlen's couch was the most uncomfortable thing Anders had ever slept on. The thing was probably older than the Emperor himself, full of lumps and the cushions quite stiff. His back would never forgive him for it, and he was half tempted to put himself into a Jedi healing trance just to get all the aches out. Instead, he got up and stretched for a few minutes, just to get the kinks out.

Having slept on a bunk within the _Hawke’s Talon_ and Gamlen couch, Anders was seriously considering just living on the ship now, seeing as Hawke had offered to let him do so. Maybe he could even convince Garrett and his siblings to just sleep on the _Talon_ full time. Leandra would understand if they just explained to her that they couldn’t keep living in such cramped spaces.

The smell of food cooking wafted in from the tiny kitchen, and Anders’s stomach rumbled. Much as he didn’t want to impose, he had to admit that he was hungry. Perhaps he could just grab a tiny morsel, and then be on his way. A tiny morsel would get him through the morning.

Entering the kitchen, he saw Garrett at the stove, with his mother at the table, drinking a cup of tea. He guessed that the twins and the uncle were still asleep.

Leandra looked up and smiled at Anders, "Good morning, Anders."

Neither Anders nor Garrett had told her about taking down the two Stormtroopers, or their little side trip into Darktown. That way if anyone came around asking about said troopers, she wouldn't have to lie.

"Hope you brought your appetite," Garrett said, putting a plate in front of his mother, and one in front of an empty seat close to Anders, before making himself a plate. Anders was about to insist that Garrett didn't have to worry about him, but Garrett tugged him forward and into the chair. Garrett sat down next to him and started eating.

Looking down at his meal, he had to admit that he was quite hungry. Picking up his fork, Anders helped himself to some of the eggs and toast. The eggs were crispy around the edges and the toast was darker than he preferred, but this was probably the best breakfast he’d had in a long time.

Bethany and Carver came in shortly, and their brother stood back up to make them breakfast too. Gamlen came in briefly, but it was just to grab a piece of fruit, pour a cup of tea and then walk off. There wasn’t any room for him at the table anyway. Anders couldn’t help but sense some bitterness from Gamlen. 

The rest of them talked for a bit, with Bethany asking Anders more Jedi and Force-related stuff. He was more than happy to indulge her, all the while Garrett doodled using his datapad and Carver picked at his toast. Anders liked Bethany, and already thought of her as the little sister he never had. To think, if she’d been born years earlier, or if the Republic hadn’t fallen, then she would have been taken to the Temple and never known either of her brothers, or her mother.

Anders had only seen his mother once after he ran away from the Order. But after Order 66, he knew it was too risky to see her ever again. Better that she think her son was dead rather than get the Empire knocking at her door.

Once Leandra finished her meal and went to take her morning walk, Garrett divulged the entire story of what happened last night to his siblings. Carver grumbled something about his brother always needing to be a hero, even as Garrett pointed out that it was just dumb luck that they were close enough for Anders to sense something going on. Bethany was just glad that they’d saved the boy and healed his brother.

After the story finished, there was a knock at the front door, and Garrett went up to answer it. Anders wondered who it could be this early in the morning. Garrett returned moments later with a datacard in hand.

"Who was it?" Bethany asked.

"Some elf who said he'd been paid to give this to us. I asked him who it was from but he told me that the sender wished to keep their identity hidden."

**_I find that odd. ___** ____

__Anders brushed the comment aside._ _

__Garrett plugged the card into his datapad and read the message. It was from someone who wished to hire him and his siblings for a smuggling job, but the client was worried about the Empire intercepting the message and thus couldn't tell them who they were or what the details of the job were. Thus the message ended with a place and time when they were to meet._ _

__"Well, what do you think?" He asked everyone, once he'd read them the message._ _

__"I say we go for it," Carver said. "We could use the credits."_ _

__"I agree," Bethany said._ _

__Garrett turned to Anders, "You want to come too?"_ _

__For some reason, Anders hadn't expected Garrett to invite him along. He was no smuggler. Still, he had a feeling that it would be worthwhile if he went along as well. He nodded, "Sure, why not?"_ _

* * *

__They still had some time to kill before the meeting, so Garrett decided to do a little grocery shopping. Anders and Bethany chose to stay home and do some Force exercises, while Carver said he had to check his equipment. Gib was supposed to get a shipment of fruit from Ryloth today, thanks to a deal he’d worked out. After seeing some rather colorful fruits at Pasu’s house, he had been curious to try some. His siblings and Anders had declined to go with him in lieu of going to the _Hawke’s Talon_ to check their equipment._ _

__The Rodian grocer was in a good mood today and welcomed Garrett to his selection of fruits. Garrett was tempted to select a meiloorun, but instead he chose something yellow. He bought a few, so that everybody could try one, including Anders._ _

__“Is the courier business still treating you well, Master Hawke?” Gib asked as he accepted Garrett’s credits._ _

__“Quite well, really. In another year, assuming no pirates attack us, I might actually be able to buy your more expensive fruits.”_ _

__That got an amused chuckle from Gib. He was well aware that Garrett was a smuggler, though he was also unaware that Bethany was Force sensitive. Garrett figured that the rodian secretly enjoyed the fact that Garrett’s chosen profession skirted Imperial law._ _

__“Hello, Rodian.”_ _

__Garrett and Gib looked over as an Imperial officer in an olive green uniform approached them. Gib immediately shrank down at the sight of him._ _

__“Captain Cullen Rutherford,” The Rodian greeted meekly. “How may I serve you today? Perhaps you wish to try a meiloorun? They come all the way from...”_ _

__Cullen didn’t even give him a chance to finish. “A cargo speeder carrying medpacs was robbed last night. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”_ _

__‘Robbed’ was a pretty strong word, Garrett thought, considering that just one medpac was stolen. Those cargo speeders usually carried hundreds of those medpacs, and Pasu told them last night that he’d figured that the Imperials wouldn’t miss just one._ _

__“I’m sorry, Captain,” Gib said. “But I do not.”_ _

__Cullen regarded the rodian for a moment, then said, “If you do, you will report it to myself or one of the Stormtroopers. Is that clear?” Gib nodded. The Imperial looked up and seemed to notice Hawke for the first time. “And yourself?”_ _

__Garrett shook his head and smirked, “A bird was giving me a dirty look the other day, but that’s about the only suspicious activity I’ve noticed recently.”_ _

__Cullen raised an eyebrow, and then narrowed his eyes at Garrett. “I know you from somewhere.”_ _

__Garrett tensed up, his smirk fading. Did someone see him last night when he helped Pasu and report it to Meredith or Cullen? He weighed his options. He could deny anything happened and hope Cullen bought it, he could make a run for it, or he could hit the Captain with his sack of fruit and then run for it. Those last two would mean immediately grabbing Anders and the others and rushing them to the spaceport, but it wouldn’t be the first stupid risk Garrett ever took in his life._ _

__“Ah yes,” Cullen’s face lit up. “You’re Hawke, the courier. Minister Elthina told me about you, and you match her description. Wasn’t sure until I remembered she said you had a dragon tattoo on your neck.”_ _

__Garrett’s fingers went to that tattoo. It was indeed a small, stylized decal of a dragon, done entirely in dark purple, located where his neck met his shoulder. Garrett had designed the tattoo himself, though a professional tattoo artist had actually applied it to his skin. He had gotten it shortly before the family fled Ferelden. His flight jacket usually covered it up, but yesterday and today he had gone without it, since it was rather warm out these past few days._ _

__“She told me your family were once nobles here,” Cullen continued. His tone wasn’t exactly friendly, but it was still less hard than when he’d addressed Gib._ _

__Garrett could only hope that the old biddy hadn’t said exactly why his mother’s family fell from grace, other than Gamlen’s poor money sense. Or if Elthina had told Cullen that he was the son of a Jedi, then Cullen assumed that the Force didn’t run in the family._ _

__“That’s what I’m told, but apparently the Empire seized my mother’s family estate.”_ _

__“Your uncle gave it to us fair and square to settle a debt,” Cullen stated, like it was no big deal._ _

__“Are you nobility, Captain?”_ _

__“Oh no, I’m a simple commoner from a simple family back on Ferelden. But I enlisted within the Empire the second I was old enough. I’m quite proud to serve within its ranks, and bring order to the Thedas sector.”_ _

__When it came to the Empire, ‘order’ and ‘subjectation’ went hand-in-hand. Garrett fought back a grimace. He thought Elthina was bad, but Cullen was starting to rank up there with people he didn’t much care for. He’d already disliked the man based on what he’d seen on the holo-net, but meeting him in person just cemented the smuggler’s opinion._ _

__“You know, perhaps you can earn your family’s estate back, and restore your rightful places within Kirkwall.”_ _

__Garrett raised an eyebrow. “By enlisting?”_ _

__“Exactly,” Cullen smiled smugly, like he and Garrett really were on the same page. “I trust the Empire can count on the support of one such as you, Master Hawke. We’re always looking for loyal soldiers or TIE pilots.”_ _

__“I’ll… take it under advisement.”_ _

__“Excellent,” Cullen clapped Garrett on the shoulder. “Well, I must be getting back to my duties. But, if you hear anything of rebel activity, or the whereabouts of the Jedi, you will let me know.”_ _

__The way Cullen said that last part, it was a statement, not a question. Thankfully, the Captain turned heel and strode off. Garrett looked back at Gib and pointed a thumb back at Cullen, shaking his head._ _

__“Can you believe that guy?”_ _

* * *

__The twin moons lit up the Lowtown docks as the Hawkes and Anders crept through the city, sticking to the shadows. The client’s message said to meet them at an emporium for armor and weapon materials. It had been in business since before the Clone Wars, once owned by the Trade Federation before they left Kirkwall and the Republic took possession of it. After the war ended, it was bought by the de Launcet family. The note promised that the building would be deserted at this time of night._ _

__Garrett kept his eyes open for Stormtrooper patrols, or even random bandits who sometimes liked to jump lone travellers. Just because Anders and Bethany could sense danger didn’t mean he could let himself relax. So far, they’d been lucky and the streets were barren tonight._ _

__“What do you think they’re going to ask us to ship?” Bethany whispered._ _

__“Armor plating, maybe?” Carver speculated._ _

__“Just so long as it’s not spice,” She added._ _

__“We don’t move spice,” her twin replied._ _

__Garrett looked over at Anders. The former Jedi wasn’t paying attention to the conversation behind him, keeping his eyes forward, deep in thought. He did that a lot, staring into space._ _

__“Something on your mind?”_ _

__Anders became alert all of a sudden, turning to look at Garrett. “Just thinking. I mean, I’m no smuggler but even I know that smuggling can be a pretty dangerous job. What if this person is an emissary of the Hutts or something? The Hutts don’t take rejection well.”_ _

__“I’m sure it’s not a Hutt. If it was a Hutt they wouldn’t be going through all this trouble.”_ _

__Anders nodded. “You’re probably right.”_ _

__Once they reached the emporium, they crept around to the back. The note told them to enter through the back door, where they were less likely to be spotted. Once inside, Garrett activated his glow rod, sweeping it around so they could examine their surroundings. They were currently in a storage room full of old gear, including old clone trooper armor and weapons that hadn’t been used in over ten years._ _

__Waving the others along, Garrett led them out of the room and into the hallway. They passed by some more storage rooms and an office before coming into the main area._ _

__The walls were lined with more modern equipment, such as Stormtrooper and Scout armor, standard rifles, specialized weapons, and even some Spacetrooper gear. But no sign of their mystery client._ _

__“Whoever this client is, they must like keeping us in suspense,” Garrett quipped. “Or they have a flair for dramatic entrances.”_ _

__“You have no idea how right you are, Garrett Hawke.”_ _

__The four of them were startled by the voice echoing through the vast room and Garrett shined his glow rod around to see who it was._ _

__Then suddenly, they heard the familiar _snap-hiss_ of a lightsaber, and the room was awash in red light._ _

__Garrett dropped his glow-rod from numb fingers. Anders gasped, becoming frozen on the spot. Bethany grabbed her older brother’s arm, shaking. Carver gave a faint, “What the..?”_ _

__The lights came on then, revealing the owner of the lightsaber. He was a human, dressed all in black, including a black helmet. His eyes were an unnatural yellow color, and they were full of malice. Those eyes were very unsettling with the smug grin the man sported. His hand was outstretched, and there was no doubt that he’d just used the Force to activate the lights._ _

__“Is that..?” Garrett hissed._ _

__“An Inquisitor,” Anders squeaked._ _

__“The Sixth Brother, if you please,” The Sith took a few steps towards them. “I really must thank you, for I was expecting only the older brother to show up. I was going to capture him to use him as bait to lure out the Jedi. The lot of you showing up actually saved me quite a lot of trouble.”_ _

__This was Garrett's worst nightmare. An Inquisitor had found them, and was going to take Bethany away, or murder her. She was skilled, but she'd never fought a Sith before. Worse still, was that this Inquisitor also threatened Anders, a man Garrett had only known for a week but had come to value as a friend. Anders himself had said that he barely survived his last encounter with an Inquisitor._ _

__"How did you find out about us?" Garrett demanded, putting up a brave front._ _

__"Oh, it wasn't hard," The Inquisitor bragged. As he stepped closer to them, the tip of his lightsaber ran along the floor, leaving singed concrete in its wake. "I've been watching you."_ _

__Holding out his hand, a small droid flew down from the ceiling and into his palm. It looked rather like a probe droid, only it was smaller and had a single, red lens for an eye. It was something a Jedi would not have sensed. Garrett had to mentally kick himself for being so careless._ _

__"It caught your little stunt the other night, with that twi'lek." Worry shot through Garrett, which the Inquisitor sensed, and it caused him to grin. "Oh, we haven't harmed him yet. In fact, I may have neglected to inform Meredith and Cullen that I’ve found the Jedi they were so worried about. But don’t worry, I intend to deal with your little friend once I am through with you, and then I intend to pay your mother a little visit."_ _

__Anders was already drawing his lightsaber and activating it, with Bethany following his lead. The Inquisitor raised his own blade in challenge, the droid flying out of his palm. "Shall we begin?"_ _

__The Inquisitor lunged at them, swinging his lightsaber to the side. Anders met him halfway and their blades clashed. Bethany ran at the Inquisitor, swinging her own lightsaber in the hope of getting him in the side. The Sixth Brother thrust his free hand out and pushed her away with the Force. Bethany grunted as she hit the concrete, but didn’t lose her grip on her weapon._ _

__Garrett and Carver tried to flank the Sith, running to either side of him and shooting at him. The Inquisitor pushed Anders away, activated the second blade of his lightsaber and began deflecting the shots expertly._ _

__Before Anders had a chance to take advantage of the distraction, the Inquisitor’s droid came at him, diving at him like a bird of prey. Anders ducked just in time to avoid it hitting his head, only for the droid to turn around and start shooting at him from the red lens. Anders easily deflected the shots._ _

__Garrett didn’t hesitate, turning his attention away from the Sith and towards the droid. He fired at it, which burned its side. With the droid distracted, Anders leapt up and sliced the thing in two._ _

__Unfortunately, now that the Sixth Brother was only being attacked from one side, he deflected one of Carver’s shots back at him, aimed right at his chest. A green blade suddenly appeared in front of Carver and deflected the shot to the side. Bethany stood next to her twin, lightsaber held in front of him protectively._ _

__Anders and Bethany both came at the Sixth Brother, lightsabers blazing. Unfortunately, the Inquisitor easily fought the two of them at the same time, expertly dividing his attention between both combatants. Bethany started to look scared, and the Inquisitor sensed that. As he parried and blocked Anders, he got more aggressive with Bethany. Garrett could only watch as his sister struggled, even as Anders tried to get the Sith’s attention back towards himself._ _

__Anders swung his blade at the Sixth Brother’s leg, but the Inquisitor blocked it with one blade and used the Force to push Anders away a few feet. Without even pausing, he sliced at Bethany and her scream echoed through the room as the red blade grazed her lightsaber arm._ _

__“Bethany!” Garrett shouted._ _

__She dropped her weapon and cradled her arm, eyes wide with fear as the Sith raised his lightsaber for a killing blow. Right as he swung down, a green blade got in the way. Anders put himself between Bethany and the Inquisitor, right as Carver ran in and pulled his sister away from the fight and towards the back wall. Garrett watched as he set Bethany down and got out a package of bacta patches. It would only be a temporary solution until Anders could heal her, unfortunately._ _

__Assuming any of them got out of this alive._ _

__Anders and the Inquisitor clashed again, with the Inquisitor on the offense. Anders blocked expertly, but he wasn’t given much room to attack and every time he did, one of those blades would get in the way. It wasn’t long before Anders was forced to hold his blade in place as the Inquisitor tried to go for his neck, pinning the former Jedi in place._ _

__An evil look crossed the Sith’s face. “I am not the first of my kind you have fought,” Anders’ eyes widened and he began to sweat. “Oh yes, your thoughts betray you. Don’t worry, you’re about to join your lover very soon.”_ _

__Anders thrust his lightsaber and threw the Inquisitor off him, going on the offensive now. Their blades clashed, and Garrett shouted, “Get him, Anders!”_ _

__Then the Inquisitor leapt backwards and held his lightsaber horizontally in front of him. To his and Anders’s horror, it began to spin. The Sith charged forward, forcing Anders to go back on the defense, blocking and deflecting blows._ _

__Garrett had to do something. He frantically looked around for something he could use, until his eyes fell upon Bethany’s lightsaber, still lying where she’d dropped it. Garrett snatched it up, activated it, and ran at the Inquisitor, raising the weapon above his head._ _

__The Inquisitor pushed Anders off him again and thrust his hand towards Garrett. The smuggler felt something invisible close around his throat and he dropped the lightsaber behind him. The weapon closed before it hit the concrete. Garrett clawed at his throat, struggling to breathe._ _

__“Did you really think that would work?” The Inquisitor approached Garrett, holding the still spinning lightsaber out to the side._ _

__“Time for you to die,” The Inquisitor raised his lightsaber and Garrett squeezed his eyes shut. With the Sith choking him, he couldn’t even call out for help._ _

__“No!”_ _

__Right where the Inquisitor had thrown Anders, the room lit up blue. The Sixth Brother suddenly frowned and looked to the side. All smugness instantly faded and he released Garrett. The smuggler gasped for breath, still holding his throat, as he followed the Inquisitor’s line of sight._ _

__Anders stood tall and proud, his grip on his lightsaber turning his knuckles white. But that wasn’t what got their attention._ _

__The former Jedi had glowing blue jagged lines spread all over his body, his eyes glowed blue and his face was contorted in a snarl. He gave the impression of some powerful predator, ready to pounce upon his prey and tear their throat open._ _

__“I will not allow this!” Even his voice was different. It was deeper now, and it reverberated._ _

__The Sixth Brother stood there and gaped, “What is this? I’ve never felt anything like this before.”_ _

__Anders didn’t say anything in response. Instead he raised his hand towards the Inquisitor and thrust it to the side. The Inquisitor was suddenly thrown against a wall at full force, where an entire shelf full of armor fell on him, burying the Sith._ _

__Garrett turned to gaze at his friend. “Anders?”_ _

__Before Anders could reply, the Inquisitor burst out from the pile of armor. Reactivating his lightsaber blades and making them spin, he leapt at Anders. Gripping his weapon in both hands, Anders easily deflected the blows. Unlike before, he didn’t struggle to defend himself, but the Inquisitor still wasn’t giving him much chance to actually attack._ _

__Garrett drew his pistol and fired off at the Sixth Brother. The Inquisitor leapt to the side, and the shots almost hit Anders. He deflected them all, doing so as if he were merely swatting flies away._ _

__When he landed, the Inquisitor turned to Garrett, “I grow tired of you.”_ _

__Holding his hand up, Garrett found himself lifted up by the throat, completely helpless, feet dangling above the floor, his blaster slipping from his fingers. A millisecond after lifting the smuggler up, the Inquisitor swung his weapon arm back, and Garrett knew that he was going to throw that spinning lightsaber at him._ _

__Then Garrett fell back to the floor, landing on his rear. The Inquisitor stood there, dumbfounded, as a green blade poked through his chest._ _

__The Sixth Brother dropped his lightsaber, the blades closing, right as Anders withdrew his lightsaber from the Sith. The Inquisitor’s body fell forward, his helmet making a metallic sound as he hit the floor._ _

__Anders stared at the Sith, then at Garrett. The blue glow faded._ _

__Garrett stared at him, and Anders was panting softly, regarding the other man. For a moment, they didn’t say anything, then Anders darted his head to the side._ _

__“We should check on your siblings.”_ _

__Garrett nodded, picked Bethany’s lightsaber back up, and followed Anders._ _

* * *

__Once Bethany was healed, the group decided it was time to flee the scene. Wrapping up the Inquisitor’s body, they carried him out and dumped him into the harbor, all the while Garrett wished that Sith just vanished when they died. At least this way some poor employee wouldn’t come into work to find a dead Sith laying there. Garrett kept the lightsaber, claiming that one never knew when they would need such a thing. Really, he just thought it was cool._ _

__After creeping back out of the emporium, they made their way to the spaceport and onto the _Hawke's Talon_. This was where they all felt safest._ _

__They settled in the common area, with Carver and Bethany sitting at the booth, Garrett leaning on the wall and Anders standing before them. Even though Bethany’s arm was healed, she still touched it tenderly._ _

__"So, you want to explain what that glowing was about back there?" Carver asked._ _

__"I suppose you all deserve to know by now," Anders took a deep breath. "What you saw back there wasn't me. I mean, it was, but it also wasn't. You see, I have some... unique circumstances. What you saw back there was a spirit of Justice that I share my body with."_ _

__The three siblings just stared at him for a moment. "Spirit?" Garrett asked, breaking the silence. "So you have a ghost in you?"_ _

__"Not a ghost, no. A ghost is a Force sensitive who was once mortal but died, but a spirit has never been mortal. They're incorporeal beings with strong ties to the Force, and they typically embody themselves after a virtue, such as fortitude, valor or justice. They can also tie themselves to willing Force users, thus lending their power and enhancing their partner’s own abilities."_ _

__"So why is he the first spirit we’ve met?" Bethany asked. “You’d think the Sith would be all over them.”_ _

__"They keep themselves hidden, and can only be found in one specific part of the galaxy, close to the Unknown Region. Furthermore, the trip there is quite dangerous, for it requires going through an asteroid belt and past a nebula. Justice told me that it’s been hundreds of years since any mortal has touched down on their world."_ _

__"So how did you and Justice meet?" Garrett asked, stroking his beard._ _

__"Well, the thing is..." Anders took another deep breath, looking at his feet for a moment and then back up at his friends. "You remember when I told you about my encounter with that Inquisitor last year? When I escaped him the first time, I thought I could lose him in Wild Space, but he still found me. Then I tried going further still, thinking I could lose him in an asteroid belt, and then figured he wouldn't dare follow me if I skirted a nearby nebula. Turns out he was persistent. My ship was severely damaged from the chase and I had to land on the first rocky planet that I saw."_ _

__Had anyone other than a Jedi and Sith made that flight, Garrett thought, they would not have survived the asteroids or the nebula._ _

__“We fought there. All the while, we could both sense something odd within the Force, as if multiple Force sensitives were watching us. But nobody was there, so we just kept fighting. He overpowered me, fatally wounded me, then left me for dead."_ _

__The former Jedi pulled his jacket aside, then lifted up his tunic to show a wound in his abdomen, part stab wound and part burn mark. It was a telltale sign of a lightsaber wound. Garrett frowned at the sight of it, and Anders put his tunic back down._ _

__"But you recovered," Bethany reminded him._ _

__"Not in the way you're thinking. You see, I was fatally wounded, but I didn't have enough energy to heal myself, and the wound was too bad for a Jedi healing trance to fix. So I resigned myself to my fate. But then I heard a voice, and it told me that I didn't have to die. All I had to do was say yes. So I did. That voice was Justice. He joined with me, kept me from dying, and with his power added to mine, I was able to heal myself. I spent a month on that planet, getting to know Justice better until I repaired my ship and left."_ _

__“How did you find the parts to repair your ship?” Carver asked._ _

__“There were a few crashed fighters and freighters on the planet surface, and I was able to find what I needed.”_ _

__No doubt those were ships that had gone through the asteroids or nebula and hadn’t survived. Ghoulish as it was, Garrett found himself glad that Anders had been able to get off that world._ _

__“Well, I’m glad he’s on our side,” Garrett said. “Did you see the look on that Inquisitor’s face? I wish I’d taken a holo of it.”_ _

__Anders smirked at Garrett, then turned to Bethany. “How’s your arm?”_ _

__“Better, thanks to you,” Bethany replied. She stood up then, “I’m just going to go repair my sleeve.”_ _

__Carver stood as well, “And I need a nap.”_ _

__The twins headed for their respective rooms, leaving Anders and Garrett. The two regarded each other silently, looking for something to say, but nothing came to mind. There were things Garrett wanted to say, and he didn’t need Jedi powers to know that Anders wanted to say something too._ _

__It was Garrett who finally spoke up. He stepped closer to Anders, until they were arms length from each other._ _

__“During the fight, the Inquisitor said that you were going to join your lover very soon.”_ _

__Anders turned red and he looked at his boots, wringing his hands together._ _

__“You and Karl,” Garrett said gently. “You were more than friends, weren’t you?”_ _

__Anders sighed, and looked at the smuggler again. “Yes, I loved him. A few years after we ran away, we developed feelings for each other.” He paused, gathering his thoughts, and Garrett waited patiently for him to continue. “The Order always told us that love was something we couldn’t have and shouldn’t strive for. Love and romantic attachments would only lead to the dark side, they said, because we might put that one connection over the good of others. Strong emotions like passion lead to corruption, they said.”_ _

__“The Jedi sound like they didn’t have a good grasp on developing healthy emotions,” Garrett said, only half kidding._ _

__“You have no idea. When Karl and I admitted our feelings for each other, nothing bad happened. In fact, we became stronger. Our connection made us feel like we were fighting as one, and we always trusted each other to have the others’ back.”_ _

__A brief smile crossed Anders’s face at the memory. It faded quickly, and he actually began to sniffle, burying his face in his hands._ _

__“When that Inquisitor killed him, it was like a part of me died with him. When I got back from the Unknown Region, I kept hoping that he had denied the will of the Force and remained as a Force ghost. I looked for him, but I never found him and he never appeared before me. It was foolish of me, really. I know that he’s one with the Force now, and I’m never going to see him again.”_ _

__It broke Garrett’s heart to see Anders like this. Here was a man he admired and was fond of, whom he considered his best friend despite the short time knowing each other. Garrett wanted to take this pain away, he wanted to track down that Inquisitor and make him pay for what he’d done. He wanted to hug Anders, though he wasn’t sure the gesture would be appreciated._ _

__Instead, Garrett put his hands on Anders’ shoulders, holding him gently, thumbs gently massaging him through the jacket._ _

__“I felt the same way when my father died. So did Mother and Bethany. We wished that his ghost would appear to us, but then we faced the fact that we’d never see him again. But, you have us now. If you ever want to talk, and just have an ear or a shoulder to cry into, I’m your man.”_ _

__Anders looked up, his eyes still red. “Thank you, Garrett,” He managed to smile, even if it didn’t entirely reach his eyes. “What did I do to deserve a friend like you?”_ _

__“How long do you have?” Garrett smirked. Anders smiled again, and this time it did reach his eyes._ _

__The smuggler put his hand on Anders’s back and guided him towards the kitchenette. “Come on, I’ll fix you some tea. Maybe we can play some dejarik.”_ _

__“It’s been a while since I’ve played. Go easy on me?”_ _

__“Maybe for the first round.”_ _

__“Garrett?”_ _

__“Yes?”_ _

__“Thanks again.”_ _


	6. Chapter 6

Breakfast consisted of the fruits Garrett had bought at the market yesterday. They were pleasantly sweet, and had a nice texture to them. Garrett was definitely going to buy a meiloorun next time and try that.

They didn't speak about what had happened last night as they sat around the holo-table. Anders had said that Bethany was still shaken from the fight. Garrett couldn't blame her. That Inquisitor nearly killed her, and worse still, her brother was nearly killed because he stepped in where she could not. It was only because of Anders and Justice that they'd all lived. Carver was putting up a brave front, but for once he had no snide comment about Jedi powers.

Garrett wished he knew what to say, but he wasn’t sure what he could say that wouldn’t just make her feel worse. Last night had been her first real test of skill and while she was no weakling, she hadn’t been prepared for that Sith. Anders even told Garrett last night in confidence that the Sixth Brother was nowhere near as skilled or powerful as the one who had nearly killed him.

Reaching for the center of the table, Garrett turned on the holonet to the news, to see if there was anything about the Inquisitor. There was no news about their battle, the damage to the emporium, or someone finding a corpse in the harbor. At the moment there was just a story about a qunari ship passing over Kirkwall.

“You think Meredith figured out that the Inquisitor failed to kill us?” Carver asked.

“Let’s hope not,” Garrett replied. “She might just send for another one.”

“Assuming the Grand Inquisitor would let her,” Anders said. “Maybe if we’re lucky, Darth Vader will blame that guy’s death on her.”

“Or maybe Moff Tarkin will personally tan her hide,” Garrett added with a smirk.

The holo-news switched to a vid of governor Dumar. The man sat at his desk, hands folded in front of him. He didn’t look very confident, and the bags under his eyes indicated a lack of sleep.

_“People of Kirkwall, this is your governor. I know that these may seem like dire times, with the amount of insurgents we have seen as of late, but I assure you, we have everything under control and I only ask that you trust in the Empire. Trust in Commander Meredith Stanndard, Captain Cullen Rutherford and Minister Elthina, for they have your best interest at heart, as does Kirkwall Security. I do hope that we can make Kirkwall a peaceful place to live once more.”_

“Trust in Meredith and Cullen indeed,” Anders growled, once Garrett turned off the holo-news. “Do you think the governor even believed half the things he was saying?”

“More likely he just didn’t want to get on Meredith’s bad side,” Garrett replied.

Garrett had read up on the history of Kirkwall not long after they’d first moved to this world. According to the official records, the previous governor had committed treason, leading to Meredith and Elthina arresting him, and the man died in prison. Digging even further, Garrett had discovered that the previous governor had in fact turned on the Empire and attempted to throw the Stormtroopers off his world. Garrett had always found it suspicious that the man had died so soon after his arrest, before he could be sentenced. Dumat likely didn’t wish to end up like his predecessor, and Garrett wouldn’t be surprised if Meredith or Elthina had specifically gotten him elected because they knew he wouldn’t rock the boat.

“I still can’t believe that Cullen bloke offered you a job with the Empire,” Bethany said, before taking a sip of tea. “Or that he just assumed that you were loyal because we come from noble stock.”

“Right idiot is what he was,” Garrett agreed.

“Still, he did offer to give us back Mother’s old mansion,” Carver said, staring into his ale.

“It wouldn’t have been worth it, Carver,” Garrett replied, the humor in his voice gone. “We’ll get Mother out of Gamlen’s shack one way or another, and without having to become Stormtroopers or general Empire toadies.”

Carver snorted. “Whatever you say, big brother.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes, making their fruit last in between sips of tea. Finally, Garrett spoke up.

“You know, guys, I’ve been thinking. We’ve basically been causing trouble for the Empire already, what with the Bone Pit, that business with Pasu, and now this Inquisitor. We’ve seen what the Empire is doing to Kirkwall, and I think we could be doing more.”

“What are you suggesting?” Carver asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m suggesting that we, you know, make it official.”

“Join the rebels, you mean?” Bethany asked. She sounded intrigued by the idea.

“Why not?” Garrett stood up and began to pace. “I mean, sooner or later Meredith or Cullen are going to find out it was us who caused a ruckus at the Bone Pit, and trouble does seem to keep finding us anyway. If we’re going to keep throwing wrenches into the Empire’s business, we might as well go big or go home.”

“Your brother has a point,” Anders said. “I may not be a Jedi anymore, but I still swore that I would use my gifts to help those in need. Besides, Justice would never let me hear the end of if I just sat back like a Hutt.”

Even if it was no surprise to hear that from Anders, it still warmed Garrett inside to hear him say that he was on board with the idea.

“I agree with Anders,” Bethany said. “If the spirit of Justice thinks it’s a good idea, then I’m inclined to believe it.”

The others looked at Carver. He looked back at them, then shrugged. “Might as well. Someone has to keep you lot from doing anything really stupid.”

Garrett clapped his hands together. “Great! Then we’re in agreement. Today, we’re joining the rebellion!”

“Just one problem,” Carver said. “We don’t know where they are.”

The room deflated instantly. Carver was right, of course. They had no clue where the local rebel base was, or even who was involved with the rebellion. They very well couldn’t go around asking for its location or who to ask for, not without attracting the wrong kind of attention. Plus, if the rebels were smart, they were keeping the location of their base and the identity of their leaders a secret.

It would seem that either the rebels would have to approach them, or they’d have to wait around for a rebel operation to go down and get themselves involved.

But Garrett did have an idea of where they could start.

* * *

The Hanged Man was busy as always, with the usual clientele. Anders even spotted the same Qunari in the corner as last time. He gazed around at the patrons, wondering if any of them could be possible rebels.

Justice sensed a stray thought from Anders and said, **_Meredith has no evidence that rebels have been in here. She has no business coming here._**

_You really think that would stop her?_

Justice had no answer.

“Should we get some drinks, just so we don’t look conspicuous?” Carver asked in a low voice. “I heard the bartender recently got a shipment of jogan fruit whisky.”

“Justice actually doesn’t want me drinking,” Anders explained. “He says that it’s his body too and he’d rather we not ingest alcohol. Though, just between the four of us, he also claims that I’m embarrassing when I get drunk.”

The four of them took a seat at a corner table, where they could listen to idle chatter. Garrett got his datapad out and began to draw, just so it wouldn’t look weird that they were sitting around and not drinking anything. Carver munched on some of the free nuts on the table, and Bethany closed her eyes, no doubt stretching out with the Force. Anders did the same.

He wasn’t getting much, other than sensing that most of the patrons were very drunk, or on their way to becoming drunk. A few Kirkwall Security officers were here, off duty but still in their uniforms. Anders almost ignored them but then their conversation caught his attention.

_“Did you hear that some rebels broke into the du Lancet armor and weapon emporium last night? Wrecked the place up a bit, they did.”_

_“Did they make off with anything?”_

_“Not that I’m aware of. Looked like random vandalism.”_

_“Doesn’t that seem strange to you? I mean, so far most acts of vandalism have been just painting some walls with anti-Empire slogans and artwork, not attacking businesses.”_

_“Are you kidding? It’s like Meredith says, this is just the beginning. It won’t be long before they do something drastic and kill half the city just to get to some Stormtroopers.”_

_“Now you’re being ridiculous.”_

Anders pulled away from the conversation. Meredith had blamed the rebels for the damage to the emporium? Why was he not surprised? She would do anything to turn the people against the rebellion and look to the Empire for protection. It made Justice want to emerge and give those men a stern talking to, but Anders gently reminded him that they were in public and so the spirit held it in.

Justice was getting more restless as the days went on. The slavery, hoarding medical supplies while sending none to those who needed it, taking from merchants and cutting into their profits, it painted a dire picture. Justice wanted to take action, and Anders didn’t blame him.

_It’s why we’re here, remember?_

_**I remember.** _

_Let’s hope this doesn’t turn out to be a waste of time._

“So, Hawke, did you bring me any new stories to share?”

Anders jerked his head around, spotting Varric. The dwarf was smiling at them pleasantly, elbows on their table.

“We might,” Garrett replied. “But it’s not the sort of story we can share out in the open.”

“I gotcha,” Varric nodded. “Right this way.”

Just like last time, Varric led them into his private room. This time the twins took the couch, and Varric allowed Anders and Garrett to sit on the edge of his bed. The bed was so low to the ground that their knees almost touched their chests as they sat down. Varric took his usual chair, while an R3 astromech rolled in with a tray carrying a single drink, which Varric plucked up.

“Okay, Hawke, spill it.”

Garrett told the story about the fake job offer, the subsequent trap, and the battle with the Inquisitor. All the while, Varric sat with rapt attention, sipping at his drink.

“So, the Inquisitor has Anders on the ropes,” Garrett explained. “Then, I grabbed Bethany’s lightsaber and charged at him, but he sensed me coming and got me in a Force choke. Fortunately-”

Anders suddenly interrupted him. “Fortunately I got the Inquisitor’s attention back onto me and he released Garrett. He and I fought some more, and it was a pretty even match at this point. Then Garrett came back in, lightsaber shining brightly. Unfortunately, the Inquisitor grabbed him again and right as he was about to kill Garrett I put my own lightsaber through the bastard’s chest.”

To Anders’s relief, Garrett went with it, and finished up the story, ending at the part where they dumped the body. Anders sensed that Varric knew that there was something weird about Anders’s interruption, but he didn’t press.

“That could only happen to you, Hawke,” The dwarf chuckled. “I might have to embellish a few things when I recount it to the patrons, you understand.”

“As if I expected anything less,” Garrett replied with a smirk. “Maybe add in another Inquisitor for good measure.”

“You let me worry about that, Hawke. Who’s the professional storyteller here?”

“Of course,” Garrett chuckled. “Forgive me, oh master storyteller.”

“The patrons are gonna love it,” Varric took another few sips of his drink before setting the glass down. His mood suddenly dampened. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk with you guys about. Honestly, you coming here saved me a trip to your uncle’s shack. You’ve seen what’s been going on lately, between the stuff you guys got involved with and what you likely heard about.”

Anders didn’t need the Force to know where Varric was going with this. He could feel Justice tremble with anticipation. The dwarf continued, “I think you guys could be doing a lot more to help Kirkwall, and I happen to know some people who would like to meet you.”

“Varric,” Bethany leaned forward, her voice hushed. “Are you a rebel?”

“Me, a rebel? Perish the thought, Sunshine,” Varric replied, a sly look crossing his face.

“You have the best timing ever, Varric,” Garrett said, beaming at his friend. “Because we were just discussing that very thing.”

“You know, I never put much stock in the Force, but if I did, I would think there was some mystical force that put all this in place,” Varric said, rubbing his hands together.

“Are you going to take us to them?” Garrett asked.

“Actually, for their own safety as well as mine, I don’t actually know where their base is. But I do know someone who does, and she’ll show you the way.” Varric turned to the astromech, who warbled excitedly. “Matter of fact, as a token of my gratitude, I’m gonna go ahead and let R3 stick with you guys.”

“Really?” Garrett’s eyes widened. “You’ll just give her to us?”

“R3 belongs to nobody but herself. Besides, I think she’s had enough of the cantina scene and is eager to see some action again.” The droid beeped in agreement as Varric took the tray off her and set it on the table. “Not like I’m giving you Bianca or anything.”

“We really appreciate this, Varric,” Anders said, standing up and helping Garrett to his feet.

“Think nothing of it, Master Ex-Jedi,” Varric replied. “Just promise me that when you guys take down the Empire, you’ll have a shitload of good stories to bring back. I might even turn it into a new book.”

“Let’s go then,” Garrett waved at the others. “Sooner we leave, the better.”

* * *

Once his guests had left, Varric gave it another few minutes before he walked over to the statue of the Paragon and pressed a hidden button on the base. From a hidden projector in the statue’s head, a holographic symbol hovered and a garbled voice emanated from the speaker.

_“This is Fulcrum.”_

“You know those smugglers and their Jedi friend I was telling you about? They’re in.”


	7. Chapter 7

The flight was smooth and clear, and Garrett just had to let R3 show them the way. He sat in the pilot’s seat, while Anders took the copilot spot. The twins were resting in their bunks. Outside, the Wounded Coast went by below them, while the mountains got ever closer.

Garrett still couldn’t believe that Varric had actually gifted the droid to them, when he was so sure it would be years before the _Hawke’s Talon_ got that luxury. Varric hadn’t said much about R3, other than the fact that she’d been built near the tail end of the Clone Wars and had seen battle before. When they asked R3 about her experiences, using a datapad to translate, she claimed that she’d never served alongside the Jedi or clones, being built too late for that, but she’d been partnered with a rebel before meeting Varric.

When they tried asking further, the droid had ignored the question and focused on guiding _Hawke’s Talon_.

“You sure that you can’t use the Force to read droid minds?” Garrett teased Anders.

“Quite sure.” Anders then asked, “Do you think your mother believed you when you told her we were still on a smuggling run?”

“I hope so.”

“What about your uncle? Would turn us in if he knew what we were really up to?”

“I doubt it. For all his flaws, Gamlen’s not the type to turn on family.”

It was an odd feeling, keeping a secret this huge from his mother. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been keeping secrets for years now, what with hiding the fact that her daughter was Force sensitive, and then keeping up the story that her children were just couriers. But, it was better if she continued to think that her children were smugglers who did small but illegal jobs, and not full-blown rebels out to subvert the Empire.

Looking back out the cockpit, Garrett watched the beach rise up into grassy hills and rocky outcroppings, leaving the ocean behind. He couldn’t deny feeling excited at what was to come.

“Can you believe it, Garrett? We’re about to officially join the rebels.”

“Let’s just hope we know what we’re doing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I want to fight the Empire, and it was just a matter of time before we did this anyway. But still…”

“I know,” Anders said. “The Empire seems so big and unbeatable. Like a loth-rat about to face a giant monster.” Garrett nodded. “Look at it this way, one loth-rat may not defeat the monster on its own, but many, many loth-rats working together certainly stand a chance at doing so.”

“Is that one of those corny Jedi sayings?” Garrett asked with a smirk.

“More or less. The masters used something other than loth-rats for comparison, but the general idea is still the same.”

“Still corny as hell.”

“You should have heard it from the masters, it was even cornier coming out of them.”

The two of them burst into giggles.

The ship began to slow and R3 gave a few warbles. On the console, they read the translation, which said that they were nearing the base. They looked out the window and passed over another mountain, when they saw lights and shapes below. As they got closer, things came into view and they got a better look at the encampment. There was a large tent at the far end and several small ships were parked along the perimeter. To the right of the large tent were many smaller tents. Getting even closer, Garrett noted that most of the ships were small fighters, with only a few freighters that were likely salvaged or stolen.

This was it. The Kirkwall rebel base.

“Excited?”

Garrett looked over at Anders, who was smiling at him, and he realized that he himself was grinning widely. “I guess I am.”

“I’ll go tell the twins we’re here,” Anders stood up and left the cockpit.

The _Hawke’s Talon_ set down near the edge of the base, a few meters away from some A-wings. Garrett lowered the ramp and the four of them, plus the droid, emerged onto the rebel camp.

All manner of species were standing or walking about the compound, tending to their duties or just enjoying each other’s company. Nearby, an elf and a Nautolan laughed together as they repaired one of the A-wings. A little ways off, a human and a twi’lek carried boxes into one of the shacks. To their left, a pair of elves were just conversing with each other. There was a true sense of comradery that Garrett didn’t need the Force to sense.

All of these folks had come together for one purpose. To oppose the Empire.

"Ah, you must be the ones Varric just sent our way."

The four looked over to see an elf with gray hair approaching them. Anders's face lit up.

It was that elf they'd seen arguing with Elthina on Gib's behalf a few days ago. He held himself tall, but his face that of someone who seriously needed a vacation.

"We didn't exactly get to introduce ourselves last time we saw each other, did we?" The elf asked. "I'm Commander Orsino, and I lead Dragon Squadron."

"Pleased to meet you, Commander," Garrett said, stepping forward and shaking Orsino's hand. "I'm Garrett Hawke, these are my siblings, Bethany and Carver, and that handsome fellow is Anders."

"Are you really them? The Jedi from the Bone Pit?" Anders and Bethany pulled out their lightsabers. Seeing this made Orsino smile softly. "We kept hoping that you would find your way to us somehow, either on your own or through Varric. You have no idea what this is going to do for morale."

"We couldn't just stand by as people continue to be crushed under the Empire's heel," Anders said, putting his lightsaber away. "Whatever you need of us, know that you have us, and the _Hawke's Talon_ at your command."

A few nearby rebels, no doubt having overheard the conversation, were now looking their way. Anders scratched the back of his head, while Bethany shuffled her feet. Garrett was beginning to realize that this was probably a huge risk for the two of them. By joining the Alliance, they risked the higher-ups within the Empire finding out they were Force sensitive. Yet they were willing to do so anyway.

He glanced at Anders and Bethany. The Empire wouldn’t have them, he would make sure of it.

“Come, walk with me and I’ll get you up to speed,” Orsino waved along and began walking. Garrett and the others followed. “I imagine you must have some questions.”

“A few, yes,” Garrett said, falling into step next to the elf. “Just how much damage have you guys done to the local branch of the Empire here? Or just the Stormtroopers?”

“Sadly, not as much as we’d like,” Orsino admitted. “The rebellion has only recently made its way to Kirkwall, and we’ve been taking it one day at a time. Mostly, our operations have involved attacking Stormtrooper patrols, diverting resources towards our own forces or to those who need them, and even a jailbreak or two.”

“The holo-net seems to be pretty silent on those fronts,” Carver said.

“I suspect Meredith doesn’t want the people to know how busy we’re getting,” Orsino replied. “She wants Kirkwall to believe that she’s got a handle on the situation, that we’re just terrorists, and that she has the common folks’ best interest at heart. We also suspect that after her report on your actions at the Bone Pit failed to get anyone to turn you in, she got frustrated.”

“She doesn’t want it to have the opposite effect,” Anders said, with an edge to his voice. “Nobody gave her information on us, or at least nothing she could use, and therefore she fears that any reports might give the people incentive to join the rebellion.”

“Our thoughts exactly,” Orsino nodded.

“She’s also not above twisting the news to suit her own needs,” Anders said. “She painted the Bone Pit thing like we just wanted to stir up trouble and hurt people. And then, after our fight with the Inquisitor, she made it sound like the rebels just wanted to target a helpless business owner.”

“Actually,” Bethany spoke up. “Why hadn’t you guys done anything about the Bone Pit before we got there?”

“We were planning a raid on that, actually,” Orsino explained. “You just beat us to it, and we’ve kept an eye on you since then. We saw you confront Elthina, and save that twi’lek boy from those Stormtroopers.”

“Meredith sent an Inquisitor after us too,” Anders said.

“So, the rumors about that were true,” Orsino mused. “We rather hoped they were just that. Rumors.”

“Well, he’s dead now,” Garrett said with a shrug.

“I’m actually surprised,” Orsino continued. “Because the Commander is well-known for her hatred of anything to do with Force sensitives. She hates Jedi, Sith, and anything in between. She must have been truly worried if she allowed an Inquisitor to step foot on Kirkwall.”

“That or she’s just a hypocrite,” Garrett smirked.

“Or perhaps it was a little of both,” Orsino replied.

“I still can’t believe that she endorsed a slave mine and steals from merchants and calls herself a protector,” Bethany sighed.

“Sadly, the Empire saying that they take care of their citizens only to turn around and exploit them isn’t unusual,” Orsino shook his head sadly.

It was even worse if one wasn’t human, Garrett thought. It wasn’t exactly a huge secret that the Empire didn’t like aliens. Kirkwall wasn’t as bad as other planets, with Orlais being one of the most unfriendly worlds for non-humans in the Thedas sector, but that was still a low bar. That was like saying that an amputated ear was only slightly better than an amputated leg.

“Now then, I suggest the four of you get settled in,” Orsino said. “I’ll send for you when it’s time for a mission briefing.”

* * *

It was an hour and a half later before someone came to fetch them from the _Hawke’s Talon_ and guided them to the large tent for debriefing.

This was it. They were about to get their first mission for the rebellion. Anders hoped that this would be a real blow to the Empire, and that it would be the first of many. Nothing would make him more pleased than to see the Empire crumble and die. Though, for now he’d settle on driving it out of Kirkwall.

He felt Justice stir. Was it excitement? Anticipation? Restlessness?

Anders warned Justice that it had better not be bloodlust. That was dangerous for them.

**_We won’t turn. I won’t let us._ ** __

_I know, I just worry. One slip up and..._

_**What’s important right now is the Empire, and putting an end to it. What we are doing is good and just.** _

_Yes, you’re right. I hate it when you’re right, you know that?_

Justice didn’t answer, but Anders felt his satisfaction.

He gently felt Garrett tap him on the arm, now that they had reached the briefing tent. Garrett had gotten good at telling when Anders and Justice were having a private chat, and snapping their attention back to the matter at hand.

Orsino was already standing around a circular table with a holo-projector in the middle. He waved them inside and they all took positions around the table.

“I’m glad you could join us,” The elf began. “We recently got some intel that Meredith has sent for more slaves to be brought to Kirkwall to replace the ones you freed. She’s sent Cullen to make the retrieval and he’ll deliver them.”

“Wait,” Carver said. “Why is he taking orders from her? I mean, he’s captain with the Imperial Fleet, and she’s a Stormtrooper, so he’s really not obligated to take orders from her.”

“For that, you’d have to ask him,” Orsino replied.

Anders could think of all kinds of reasons why Cullen continued to trust and listen to Meredith, taking orders from her like she was his boss. None of those reasons were very flattering. Garrett certainly hadn’t painted a very flattering picture of the man when he’d described their encounter in the market.

“This is the ship carrying the prisoners.”

Orsino tapped a button on a console in front of him, and a holographic image of a freighter came up. To Anders’ surprise, it wasn’t an Imperial Fleet freighter. It actually looked Orlesian in design, with its fancy curves and shiny exterior. One wouldn’t guess that it was used to transport slaves.

Orlais was considered the crown jewel of the Thedas sector. It was wealthy, high cultured, home to many influential figures, and, most of all, it was one of the most Empire-loyal worlds in this region of the galaxy. If any planet lined up exactly with the Empire’s values and ideals, it was Orlais. This included the way it treated its non-human citizens. On Orlais, non-humans were officially second-class citizens with barely any rights, and while the rulers and nobility denied it, Orlais practiced slavery behind closed doors. It wasn’t unheard of for non-humans, especially elves, to just disappear one day, and reappear as the legal property of some noble, or shipped off to another planet.

Anders and Karl had visited that world just once during their travels. Anders preferred the idea of visiting Jakku or Mustafar rather than step foot on Orlais ever again. Or, if he ever went back, it would be to kick the nobilitys’ collective ass and declare non-humans full, equal citizens. Justice rather liked that idea.

“Fulcrum has given us some coordinates where we believe the ship is to come out of hyperspace and wait for Cullen. You are to lie in wait, and hope that Cullen doesn’t get there before you have a chance to intercept the ship.”

“Who’s Fulcrum?” Garrett asked.

“Fulcrum is our informant on the Empire’s operations.”

“Who are they, really?” Carver asked.

“Their identity is a secret, so they may not be compromised in case any of us are captured.”

“And you just trust them?” Carver raised an eyebrow.

“Their information has never steered us wrong, young man. Fulcrum has been instrumental in subverting the Empire, not just for Dragon Squadron, but the other rebel cells across the galaxy.”

“I’m sure the rebels take precautions when it comes to this sort of thing, Carver,” Bethany said. Carver snorted, but Orsino smiled gently at her.

“Anyway,” The elf continued. “You’re to take the _Hawke’s Talon_ to these coordinates and hijack that ship.”

“Shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Garrett boasted. “Unless a purgill comes out of nowhere, this should be a walk through the park.”

“Good,” Orsino turned off the hologram and pulled out a datapad. “These are the coordinates. It’s a five hour flight through hyperspace, and you leave in one hour.”

Even if this wasn’t going to be a huge blow to the Empire, it was still doing some good, Anders thought. Besides, freeing slaves was never beneath him.


	8. Chapter 8

Garrett waited for the right moment before he pulled the lever, and the starlines collapsed back into stars as the _Hawke’s Talon_ came out of hyperspace. They came out near a large, orange gas giant, around which orbited a dozen moons.

“Any idea why this is going down in the ass end of nowhere?” Carver asked.

“That slave vessel probably has other deliveries to make,” Anders said, a clear note of disgust in his voice. “This way they don’t need to go all the way to Kirkwall, and possibly get held up with spaceport regulations.”

Garrett shook his head, mirroring Anders’ disgust.

The _Hawke’s Talon_ pulled up behind one of the moons and settled in to wait.

“Nervous?” Garrett asked everybody.

“A little, yes,” Bethany replied, even as her twin shook his head.

“I’ve liberated slaves in the past, even before that whole thing at the Bone Pit,” Anders said. “Though it was never on this scale. Karl and I met an elven family who had been sold to some minor lord, and we managed to smuggle them off their world.”

That was one thing Garrett liked about Anders. He was so heroic, never thinking of himself, and with an innate desire to make the galaxy a better place. He could sit down and listen to Anders’ stories about past heroics all day. He was so young when he and Karl struck out on their own, and even after the Empire began hunting down Force sensitives, that hadn’t stopped Anders from continuing to do the right thing.

Garrett hoped that he could make new heroic memories with Anders, about their own adventures. Them against a tyrannical empire, fighting evil. The scruffy underdog and the dashing rogue. It was like something out of a holo-drama.

It was an hour later before something came out of hyperspace. Garrett put down his datapad, in which he’d been sketching random things, pulled the ship out just enough to peek out behind the moon. There it was, the slaver ship, floating out in space like some gaudy, bronze-coated fish. They wouldn’t have much time before the Imperials showed up.

“Let’s go,” Garrett pulled away from the moon and headed for the vessel.

As expected, the ship hailed them. _”Unknown ship, identify yourself.”_

Garrett put on a gruff voice and replied, “This is Logan Fisk, and I hear that you’ve got some special cargo. I’m interested in making a purchase.”

There was silence on the other side for a bit, during which Garrett’s hands tightened on the controls, and Anders bit his lip. Finally, the person on the other end said, _”Fine, come on aboard, but make it quick. We’ve got a huge client coming.”_

“They’ll never even know we were here.” Garrett turned off the comm and gave the others a thumbs up.

“Man, they must have been thick,” Carver said. “Anyone ever told you that you can’t act to save your life?” Bethany ribbed her twin gently.

The _Hawke’s Talon_ flew in towards the aft end of the ship, where the landing bay would be. They met no resistance as they docked their ship into the large freighter.

The plan wasn’t very complicated. Garrett and Anders would make their way to the control room, taking out any slavers they could, and take command of the vessel. They would then leap into hyperspace and take the ship back to Kirkwall, freeing the slaves and arresting any surviving slavers. Carver and Bethany, meanwhile, would stay back with the _Hawke’s Talon_ and provide backup. Carver hadn’t been very happy about that, but Garrett had pointed out that if anything went wrong, then it would be up to the twins to come to the rescue.

The _Talon’s_ ramp lowered, allowing Garrett and Anders to step out and into the hanger bay. Garrett’s hand went to the grip of his blaster, while Anders’ hand hovered at his waist, ready to draw his lightsaber.

To their surprise, there was nobody waiting for them.

“How odd,” Anders observed, letting his hand hang at his side. Garrett, however, kept his hand at ready.

“Either these are some really trusting slavers, or this is a trap.”

“You think Meredith set this up to capture us?”

Garrett thought it over. “No, this isn’t her style. Nor is Cullen bright enough to set something like this up.”

Something caught Anders’ eye and Garrett turned to see what he was looking at. Sitting on a nearby crate was a cup of caf, and it was still steaming. Someone had been in here recently.

The two of them began to walk towards the lift when Anders stiffened, his breath hitching.

“What’s wrong.”

“Death,” Anders whispered. “I sense death. It’s happening right now.”

Garrett knew better than to question a Force sensitive. He rushed to the lift, Anders right behind him. “Do you know which level it was on?” Anders nodded and pressed the button for the next level up.

Were the slavers killing their prisoners? That seemed counterproductive, because killing slaves meant lost credits. Perhaps one of them had gotten sick, or was deemed too old to sell. Garrett didn’t even want to think about what sort of logic slavers ran on, especially logic that led to murder of their prisoners.

The whole way up, Anders sweated, letting out another gasp as he sensed another series of deaths. Garrett put a comforting hand on Anders’ arm, and he felt the ex-Jedi relax.

When they reached their destination and the lift opened, both men leapt into the hallway, drawing their weapons, Anders igniting his lightsaber.

The sight before them left the two of them very confused.

There were a couple of corpses, but they were of men in shiny, almost silver armor. Certainly they weren’t slaves. Garrett had the sneaking suspicion that these were guards. But the weird part was that only one of them had a clear cause of death. One of them had been shot point-blank in the chest, while the other didn’t have so much as a mark on him.

Anders knelt by the body with the blaster wound, giving it a quick examination, then moved on to the other one. “Odd, this one wasn’t shot or stabbed.” He closed his eyes and touched the body, his brow creasing. “It feels like… his heart was crushed.”

“But there’s no blood or hole in his chest.”

“I know, it’s the strangest thing,” Anders stood up. “There’s also a signature of… something, on the body. It’s some kind of energy, but I can’t tell what kind.”

“Hello?”

Both men approached the cell where the voice had come from. Inside was a young elven woman, her eyes wide and red, like she’d been crying. Inside the cell with her were many, many more elves, so many that Garrett wondered how they were all able to sleep in there without laying on top of each other.

The girl shrank away and Anders said, “It’s okay, we’re not here to hurt you. We’re with the Alliance and we’re going to free you.” The elves whispered among themselves, some of them sounding relieved while others thought the two were just more slavers or were there to take them to an even worse situation.

“Listen,” Garrett said. “Do you know who or what killed those guards?”

“We didn’t see,” The girl said, her voice still shaky. “We just heard them yelling at someone, and then they were killed.”

“We promise, we’re going to get you out of this,” Garrett replied. “We just need you to hold tight for a little while longer, until we know what’s going on and it’s safe to let you out. Can you do that?”

The girl nodded and gave a weak smile.

As they left the prisoners and took the lift to the next floor up, towards the control room, Anders sensed more killing. At least they were fairly sure that it was more slavers who were dying, and not prisoner deaths as they feared. This was proven true as they reached the next floor and ran into the corridor, passing by the corpses of more guards.

Garrett wished he knew who or what was responsible. Hopefully it wouldn’t turn out that this was some Hutt enforcer looking to cut down the competition. Or worse, it could be another Inquisitor luring them into a trap.

“Do you think it’s a Jedi doing this?” Garrett asked.

“I doubt it. I’m not sensing another Force presence.”

That made Garrett’s curiosity flare up even more. He had to know who or what was killing these slavers. The closer they got to the bridge, the more his stomach tightened with anticipation. They were so close, the entrance within sight already.

Upon reaching the door to the bridge, they heard a scream. Anders used the Force to open the door and the two of them rushed inside.

They both stopped in their tracks at the sight before them.

All of the bridge crew were quite dead. Some of them were bleeding, while others were bloodless. Most of them had been shot, another had his neck snapped, and a couple more died of stab wounds.

Standing in the midst of the bodies was an elf. He had brown skin, which contrasted with snow white hair, and was fairly muscular. Most striking, though, were the strange, intricate marks all over his skin. They looked like tattoos, and were white against his skin.

The elf pointed his rifle, no doubt stolen from one of the guards, at them. Garrett and Anders held up their hands.

“Come to join your fellow slavers?” The elf growled.

“We’re not with them,” Garrett said hastily. “We’re rebels.” The elf raised a skeptical eyebrow at them. “I’m Garrett Hawke, and this is Anders,” He nodded at his friend, who gave a little wave. “We got word that the Empire had ordered more slaves and we were sent to hijack this ship and free everyone.” Garrett took a look around at all the bodies. “Though, it looks like you did most of the work for us already.”

The elf regarded them, before lowering his weapon. “That I did,” He slung the rifle on his back, the strap going across his chest. 

Garrett and Anders looked over the elf’s shoulder as movement caught their eye. One of the slavers was getting up and drawing his blaster, aiming it at the elf’s back. Both men went for their weapons, and the elf seemed to understand what was going on from their movements. He whipped around and grabbed the slaver by the wrist.

“Filthy slave!”

No sooner had those words left the man’s lips than the elf suddenly glowed blue. It wasn’t like Justice, where Anders’s veins and eyes glowed blue when the spirit emerged. Rather, it was like the elf had a ghostly sheen around him. The slaver gasped in horror, right as the elf plunged his hand into the man’s chest. Except, it wasn’t like he tore into the man like a piece of meat, but instead his hand phased into the man’s chest like his hand was made of air. The slaver made a gurgling noise and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The elf pulled his hand out and the glow faded.

Anders and Garrett stood there, their jaws on the floor. The elf turned to face them, the rage leaving his face.

“I am Fenris, and I imagine you have questions.”

He could say that again. “Tell you what,” Garrett said. “Why don’t we save those for when we get to safety? The Empire is going to show up soon.”

No sooner had those words left his mouth when movement outside the viewport caught their attention. An Imperial Light Cruiser had just come out of hyperspace.

“You weren’t kidding,” Fenris snarked.

“For the record, we thought we had at least a half hour before the Empire showed up,” Anders said.

A voice came over the bridge’s comm. _“This is Captain Karras. I am here to pick up the order for delivery to Kirkwall._ ”

The three of them looked at each other and Anders scrambled to the console. “We hear you loud and clear, Captain,” He replied, putting on an Orlesean accent. “We just need a few minutes to get things in order.”

“ _Well, hurry it up._ ” With that, the channel closed. Anders’ shoulders sagged as he relaxed.

“They won’t wait forever,” Fenris pointed out. “I take it you had a plan for when you actually took the ship?”

“Well, we can’t go into hyperspace,” Anders said. “They might calculate which hyperspace lane we took and follow us. Or it’ll just look suspicious if we bolt right away, and then they’ll be looking for this ship to capture it later.”

“We might have to improvise,” Garrett pulled out his commlink, “Starlings Three and Four, get to the bridge immediately. It’s on the third floor, just keep going down the corridor until you reach the open door.”

 _”On our way, Starling One,”_ Bethany replied, and signed off.

“Oh no,” Anders frowned. “I know that look. You’re about to suggest we do something reckless.”

“Have I ever steered you wrong?”

* * *

Captain Karras stood on the bridge, looking out at the Orlesian ship just sitting there.

Cullen was originally going to make this trip, but then at the last second, Meredith decided that she needed his help with something and thus he asked Karras to make the trip. Karras had gladly said yes, because he was always eager to do his part for the Empire, even if it was something as small as getting more workers to replace the ones they’d lost. Besides, as Cullen pointed out, in the unlikely event that rebel insurgents showed up, Karras was more than capable of handling them.

When asked why Meredith had needed Cullen, the man had said they were expecting a visit from an important person soon and she wished to have him at her side during said visit.

Honestly, it should have been ridiculous that Cullen, an Imperial Captain, took orders from that woman, when she was a Stormtrooper. Yet Karras couldn’t blame him, when she got the job done and was so loyal to the Empire they served. She was the only thing keeping back the madness on Kirkwall.

Karras hadn’t inquired further about this minor errand or the upcoming visitor. A good Imperial didn’t ask questions. Perhaps on the trip back, he would take one of the slaves into his quarters for a little fun.

Ten minute had gone by, and no word from that ship. Karras frowned, “What’s taking so long?” He looked into the pit, at the comm officer. “Hail them again.” The officer nodded and opened a channel to the other ship again. “This is Captain Karras. We are getting impatient. How do you want to make this exchange?”

For a moment, there was only silence, and Karras was about to say something more, when he got a reply. _“There’s a technical problem over on our side. We’re taking care of it.”_

Karras narrowed his eyes. That wasn’t the man from before. What was going on?

“What manner of technical problem?”

Another pause, then, _”Engine trouble. Seems that someone down in maintenance was sleeping on the job.”_

“Okay, then we’ll send a shuttle over and you can load them onto that.”

_“Er, that’s okay, that’ll take a while and we have many more deliveries to make. Better to just wait on the engine to get fixed. Shouldn’t take very long.”_

Karras exchanged looks with a nearby Stormtrooper, then asked, “Is this a ploy to get us to pay you more?”

_“Um… yes! Exactly! Give us more credits or you’re not getting your slaves!”_

By now Karras was getting impatient. He cut off communications and barked, “Launch TIEs at that ship and whittle away their shields.”

If those businessmen wanted to play hard ball, then he would show them why it wasn’t wise to toy with the Empire. It would also send a message to others wishing to undercut the Empire.

A fleet of TIEs flew towards the ship, green light blazing as they struck the freighter’s shields. Orlesean ships usually had good shields, but under a constant onslaught, it would fail just like any other. After that, it would be a matter of damaging that ship until the slavers called to surrender. And if they refused, then Karras could easily find some reason to arrest the slavers and just take their cargo by force.

As expected, the slaver vessel fought back, shooting at the TIEs. They managed to hit a few fighters, causing them to explode in a fiery blaze. No matter, Karras thought. If they lost a few pilots, there were plenty more where they came from.

“Sir, a ship just came out of their docking bay!”

Karras snorted. “Just one? Overconfident Orleseans.”

“That’s the thing sir. That ship’s not Orlesean. In fact, I’m pretty sure no Orlesean would be caught dead flying in that thing.”

Now Karras was just confused. Was this another trick by the slavers? He opened the comm frequency again and demanded, “What’s going on?”

_“While you waste time shooting at us, those rebels are getting away!”_

Karras’ eyebrows rose. “Rebels, here?”

_“One of my men reported back, and some rebels snuck on board our ship! They sabotaged our engines and took most of our slaves! Now are you going to keep wasting your time on us or are you going to shoot them down?”_

Karras cut the comm with just a curt word directed at the slavers, a smug look crossing his face.

“Men, focus on that ship and bring it down!”

“What about the slavers, sir?”

“Forget about them for now,” Karras barked. “The rebels are the real prize here.”

Bringing in or even shooting down a rebel ship was sure to get him a promotion. Maybe even command of his own Star Destroyer.

* * *

“Here they come!”

“I see them,” Garrett said, watching out from the viewport as the squadron of TIE fighters turned away from the freighter and flew towards the _Hawke’s Talon_. At least the heat was off of Bethany and Carver, but this next part hinged on whether that Imperial Captain was as predictable as he hoped.

“You’re sure this is going to work?” Fenris demanded.

“Not exactly,” Garrett admitted. “But at the moment, I can’t think of a better plan. Can you handle the rear weapons?”

“I’m on it,” Fenris dashed out of the cockpit and towards the back.

When Garrett had laid out his plan to the others, he’d offered Fenris the choice of joining Anders and Hawke in the _Talon_ in order to shoot down TIEs or stay on the freighter. Fenris went with the former, arguing that he wasn’t one to sit back and that if he went with Garrett, then the slaves had a better chance at escaping. He just made sure that Bethany and Carver promised to do everything in their power to get those prisoners far away from the Empire.

Anders, sitting in the copilot’s seat, tensed as the TIEs neared them. Garrett’s hands tightened on the controls. “Here we go!”

The _Hawke’s Talon_ charged at the incoming squadron. The TIEs fired at them in a massive wave, even as Garrett met their fire with his own, taking down a pair of TIEs as they swooped overhead. Three more went down right after, shot down from the rear by Fenris.

“Shields at sixty percent,” Anders reported.

Garrett swung the ship around and fired a few more shots at the enemy fighters. He managed to hit one, but they were fast and broke off into two smaller squadrons. Anders divided his attention between the instruments and the battle outside.

“Relax, we got this,” Garrett assured the ex-Jedi.

Anders nodded, “I know. I trust you.”

One thing Garrett kept in mind was that while the TIEs had the advantage of speed and maneuverability, they lacked shields. He’d always wondered why nobody thought to do something about that. Then again, the Empire wasn’t exactly known to care about those who fought and died for them.

While this was going on, he kept an eye on the Orlesian freighter. It began to turn, so it was facing away from the battle. In a flicker of pseudo-motion, the shiny vessel took off into hyperspace. Garrett felt some relief wash through him.

With the TIEs focused entirely on the _Hawke’s Talon_ , Bethany and Carver could safely escape with the slaves. Carver had spun a yarn about Garrett smuggling some slaves onto his ship, when in reality, they were all back on that freighter. The twins would make sure there were no surviving slavers before letting the prisoners out of their overcrowded cells. Fenris had said he was thorough in disposing of them, but it never hurt to be cautious.

Now they just had to follow them and meet up on Kirkwall.

“Plot us a course out of here, R3,” Garrett told the droid, who beeped back an affirmative.

Right as his hand went to the lever, Anders shouted, “Pull up!”

Garrett’s hand shot back to the steering joysticks and he veered up sharply. Right as he did so, the _Hawke’s Talon_ rocked violently as something hit the rear of the ship.

Gazing out of the viewport, his eyes widened. The Light Cruiser had started shooting at them. Whoever this guy was, he meant business and was out for rebel blood. All the while, Fenris continued to shoot any TIEs on their tail, and R3 warbled worriedly.

“Rear thrusters have taken damage! They’re still functional, but one of them might be on the verge of giving out.” Anders looked at Garrett with wide eyes. But even then, his eyes were full of trust, hoping that Garrett would get them out of this.

“R3, just get us anywhere that’s not here!” The droid still sounded panicked, but she did as asked, punching a route to the closest planet into the navi-computer.

Flying as fast as he could, Garrett put some distance between them and the TIEs before his hand pulled the lever. Stars elongated as they entered hyperspace.


	9. Chapter 9

Garrett sagged back into his seat. “Damage report, R3.”

Anders read off the translation on the console. According to the droid, that Light Cruiser had taken out what was left of the shields and grazed one of the back thrusters. The best case scenario was that it would hold out for another hour, and that was being generous. They needed to land and fix it before they could even think of flying back to Kirkwall.

Fenris entered the cockpit and took a seat. Anders and Garrett both shifted in their own seats so they could face the elf.

“So, you promised to answer a few questions,” Garrett said.

“That I did,” Fenris said.

“Are you a rebel?”

Fenris shook his head. “Not really. I’m merely a man who hunts down those who trade and sell others for money. I was on Lothal a few days ago when that ship you captured showed up, and I overheard some Imperials talk about how it was a slaver vessel there to pick up some merchandise.” The way he said ‘merchandise’, was like he said a foul curse word, like anyone would dare refer to sentient beings in such a way. “I made myself look like an easy target and got taken on board. I then waited for the right time before I freed myself and picked them off one by one. That is when you found me.”

“What exactly was your plan once they were all dead?” Anders inquired.

“Truthfully, I was hoping that one of the prisoners knew something about flying a vessel like that, or I would have forced the pilot to do what I wanted.”

“You don’t know how to fly, do you?” Anders raised his eyebrows.

“I do not. Such things are not taught to a slave.”

Garrett pursed his lips. No wonder he’d reacted violently when that man had called him a slave. It also hit Garrett that so far most of the slaves they’d saved were those the Empire had arrested and forced into servitude, and that sometimes people were just born into slavery. Fenris’ words seemed to imply that he was the latter.

“So, you’re a former slave who goes around freeing slaves? Varric is going to have a field day when we tell him about this.”

“What’s the deal with those markings?” Anders asked.

Fenris chuckled softly. “Yes, I imagine they do make me look strange. These are what gives me those abilities you saw back there. They are made of a mineral called lyrium.”

“I’ve never heard of lyrium,” Garrett said. Anders shook his head, indicating that he hadn’t either.

“I’m not surprised,” Fenris said. “It only comes from Orzemmar and the trade of it is very strictly regulated. Lyrium very rarely makes it off its home world, because useful as it is, it’s also very dangerous. Lyrium can cause brain damage or even death if handled improperly. Only the dwarves can mine it safely.”

Orzemmar, the home planet of the dwarves. Outsiders rarely visited that planet, since the dwarves weren’t the welcoming sort and didn’t open their doors for just anyone. Orzemmar’s cities were underground, going deep into the planet, and the dwarves themselves made a living through mining, nug-wrangling, growing mushrooms, or making weapons and armor. Dwarves who lived on the surface, either by exile or leaving willingly, were known as Surface Dwarves, and weren’t welcome back into the underground cities. Varric was born a Surface Dwarf, he’d once told Garrett, while his brother Bartrand had been old enough to still remember Orzemmar before their family was banished. 

It wasn’t unheard of for the Empire to recruit Surface Dwarves to build things for Stormtroopers and ground officers, though Force forbid if a dwarf actually had ideas on how to improve ground vehicles or Star Destroyers. In fact, no Dwarven engineers in the galaxy would be given the chance to serve on even a Fleet freighter, let alone a Star Destroyer.

It also went without saying that the Empire had laid a claim on Orzemmar and forced the Dwarves to give them a percentage of any ores they mined. That the Dwarves were allowed to restrict the flow of this lyrium substance said that either the Empire was savvy enough to realize working with a dangerous substance wasn’t worth their time or it got smuggled out anyway. Garrett suspected that Fenris’ markings were the result of smuggled lyrium.

“Lyruim is said to have magical properties,” Fenris continued. “I was not given these markings willingly. My master forced them upon me in order to create the ultimate bodyguard, burning them into my flesh in a ritual.”

Garrett scowled. “If I find your old master, I’ll tear his lungs out.”

Fenris smiled at that. “You’ll have to wait in line behind me.”

“Most slave masters aren’t very keen to give up someone they see as valuable or useful,” Anders pointed out. “Won’t he be looking for you?”

The smile faded, and Fenris said, “I’m counting on it.”

Anders and Garrett looked at each other, but before they could inquire further, Fenris looked at Anders and said, “You are a Jedi.”

“Er, yes, I mean, technically I’m a self-exiled Jedi. How did you guess?”

“I saw your lightsaber back on the freighter. At first, I wanted to believe you had merely killed a Jedi or Sith and taken their lightsaber from them, but then I heard you tell Hawke to avoid that attack before we knew we were being shot at.”

Anders rubbed his knees. “I suppose I did.” He frowned at the elf. “Is that going to be a problem?”

Fenris snorted. “How long will it be before you decide the rebellion isn’t enough excitement for you and you answer that call to the Dark Side?”

Anders scowled. “Excuse me?”

“I have seen the Inquisitors,” Fenris said. “From what I understand, they are all former Jedi who decided to give in to the Dark Side when it beckoned to them rather than be killed.”

“Some Jedi resisted,” Garrett pointed out. “We had a run-in with an Inquisitor recently, and Anders kicked his ass rather than accept any offer.” Anders smiled at his friend appreciatively.

“See how long that lasts,” Fenris snorted, his frown deepening. “Eventually, all Jedi are unable to resist and they crave more power than they have. That is how you get people like Darth Vader.”

“I’m nothing like Vader,” Anders hissed, his scowl returning. “Just because I left the Jedi doesn’t mean I’m going to trade my lightsaber in for a red one.”

“The fact remains that there are no true Jedi left,” Fenris said. “There are only Sith and the oddballs such as yourself.”

“Anders has more than proven himself trustworthy,” Garrett said. “He’s been a great asset to fighting the Empire and an even better friend.” He turned to Anders and put a hand on his forearm. Anders looked down at the hand, then back up at Garrett, smiling softly at him. That smile never failed to make Garrett smile back.

Before Fenris could offer a rebuttal, R3 beeped to get their attention, then announced that they were approaching a small planet she had charted a route to. “Take us out of hyperspace when we get there, R3.”

* * *

Anders stood at the bottom of the ramp, surveying the planet they had landed on. The local climate was jungle, and there were storm clouds in the distance. It probably rained a lot on this world, judging by the thin layer of mud at his feet.

Once they came out of hyperspace, Garrett had set them down in a clearing just a couple of kilometers from the nearest town. If there were any Imperials on this world, he didn’t want to get their attention by landing in the actual spaceport. It was likely that Karras’ men had gotten a look at the _Hawke’s Talon_ and cataloged it as a rebel vessel.

Anders reached out with the Force. He could sense wildlife, such as insects, small reptiles and a predator in the distance. The predator seemed to be keeping away from the ship, and it wasn’t in the direction of the town, so it would be easy enough to avoid it. He couldn’t sense any sapient life out here in the jungle.

He could still feel Garrett’s hand on his arm. Anders didn’t want that touch to end.

_**If not now, then when?** _

“If we survive this war, then I’ll consider it.”

_**How is it that the more time I spend with mortals, the less sense you make?** _

“Trust me, sometimes we mortals don’t even understand ourselves.”

Anders paused, just looking out into the jungle.

_**Do not let Fenris’ words get to you.** _

“I know,” Anders sighed. “It’s just, you know what will happen if we can’t resist temptation. If we were to fall to the dark side…”

_**I won’t let us, and neither will you. We are stronger than that.** _

The way Justice said it, Anders could almost believe it.

“Justice have anything interesting to say?”

Anders looked over his shoulder as Garrett came up to stand beside him. He’d been checking over the damages with R3. “Oh you know, just Force-related things.”

Garrett nodded. “Well, thanks to you, the damage to the thrusters wasn’t as bad as it could have been.”

“I think we can also thank your fast flying for that too.”

“Ever the modest one,” Garrett smirked. “Listen, R3’s going to be busy with repairs for a while, so why don’t we all go into town for a while? We can at least get a bite to eat.”

“I’d like that.”

It was about a half-hour’s walk into town, and the only things that crossed their paths were snakes and what looked like a large rodent. Anders and Fenris didn’t speak to one another, and Garrett would occasionally point out an interesting plant or something hanging from the trees. Anders was tempted to make a quip about how Jedi were meant to be mediators, and yet Garrett was better at it than he was.

The town wasn’t very big and it rather reminded Anders of Lowtown in terms of size and the way it was laid out. They found themselves in a market district, as evidenced by the many stores and stalls selling wares. There was a mix of various races walking about or manning the stalls, and no sign of Stormtroopers or men in olive green uniforms.

As they walked, something darted out in front of them, startling the three men. Upon glancing down, they saw that it was a small animal with orange fur. It looked up at them with bright eyes and let out a meow.

Anders’ face immediately lit up. “It’s a loth-cat!”

“A what?” Fenris asked.

“Loth-cat. It’s a member of the tooka family,” Anders knelt down and held out his hand. The loth-cat came up to him and sniffed his fingers, before it nuzzled his hand and Anders scratched it behind the ears. The animal began purring at the attention. “They’re usually only found on Lothal. It must have been brought here at some point.” Anders checked to see if it was wearing some sort of ID. It was not.

Thoughts of just picking up the thing and taking it with him crossed his mind. He hadn’t had any sort of feline companion for a while, and it would be nice to have another.

But, this loth-cat probably had an owner somewhere, ID tag or not. It could also probably be a wild animal that had a colony on this world. It wouldn’t be right to take it with them.

He patted the loth-cat on the head and stood up, “Okay, little guy, you run along now.”

The loth-cat tilted its head at Anders, before trotting back down the alley.

They continued down the street until they saw a small diner. Figuring it was as good a place as any, the three went inside and found a table, where a waitress took their orders. Settling in for the wait, Garrett looked over at Anders.

“I didn’t know you were such a cat person, Anders.”

“Are you kidding? Cats of all kinds are amazing, and they’re the best pets ever,” Anders gushed. Fenris got up to use the fresher while waiting for their food. “I used to have a tooka named Mister Wiggums a few years back. Sweetest thing ever, would hiss at Imperials.” Anders’ happy grin turned into a sad frown. “But then he was nearly killed when I took him with Karl and I on an adventure on Naboo. I managed to heal him, but for his own safety I decided to give him away to a nice family. I had a friend whose sister lived there, and she agreed to take good care of him. I like to think he’s fat and spoiled now, living as a happy house pet.”

“It’s never easy saying goodbye to a pet,” Garrett replied, sliding his hand across the table, as if he were about to place it over Anders’. The hand stopped halfway, however. Anders wished it hadn’t.

The waitress came back with their food, and not a moment later, Fenris returned to their table. The three dug in, making idle chatter about some nonsense or other. Anders and Garrett had to be careful not to say anything incriminating out loud.

They were halfway through their meal when Anders paused, his mouth still full of food. He held up his hand for the other two men to quiet down, as he chewed and swallowed his mouthful of sandwich. He’d sensed something. It was a subtle tug, like the plucking of a spider’s web.

He lifted his drink to take a sip, and after taking the glass away from his lips, he took a quick glance over his shoulder.

A pair of women had just entered the diner. One had dark skin, wore light armor and golden jewelry. Anders was guessing that she was a pirate, based on her attire. The other was a skinny elven woman in a green tunic and pants of a darker shade of green, with a crude wooden staff strapped to her back. The most striking thing about her were the tattoos on her face that marked her as Dalish.

Before the Clone Wars, the elves had hailed from a planet known as Arlathan. Sadly, Arlathan had been invaded by the Separatists when the elves refused to help them in their war with the Republic. As a result, the elves were enslaved and the Separatists took what they wanted from Arlathan. The planet was eventually liberated by elven rebels with the help of a powerful Jedi, and for a time the elves lived in peace. Then the Empire had come along and conquered the planet all over again when the elves refused to pledge loyalty to Palpatine. Palpatine had ‘graciously’ allowed the elves to live and merely drove them off their own planet. Thus many elves found themselves forced into off-world cities where they lived as second-class citizens.

The Dalish were those who refused to live by the Empire’s laws and dwell in human cities, determined to keep their own culture alive and never let Palpatine and his forces destroy what they had left. As such, the Dalish lived nomadic lives in colony ships, gathering anything they could of the culture their enemies had tried to destroy. They tattooed their faces to honor their gods, and show the galaxy that they would never submit to human rule.

One had to admit, their determination was admirable.

The Empire loved to paint a picture of the Dalish as savages who would steal children, and the loyal citizens were all too eager to believe that bit of propaganda. It really was no wonder why the Dalish tended to distrust humans, when they had no way of knowing if the human wouldn’t just go fetch some Stormtroopers to massacre their entire clan.

So what was a Dalish elf doing away from her clan and with a pirate?

Anders reached out with the Force again, closing his eyes and enhancing his other senses so he could try and catch their conversation. Fortunately, they took seats at the counter not very far from his table.

_“Doesn’t that Hondo person owe you a favor?”_

_“Actually, I want to save that for something bigger. Besides, Hondo hasn’t exactly been the most reliable as of late.”_

_“There must be someone who can get us to Kirkwall.”_

Anders’ eyes shot open. The ex-Jedi stood up and stepped up to the two women. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear. You two are trying to get to Kirkwall?”

The pirate looked over her shoulder, giving Anders a once-over and apparently deciding he was worth talking to. “That we are. We had a shuttle, but sadly, a bunch of TIEs shot us down a couple of days ago and we’ve been stranded here.”

“We’ve been trying to save up the credits to buy passage to Kirkwall or possibly even a new shuttle, but people refuse to play cards with us,” The elven woman said.

“They say it’s because I’m a cheat,” The pirate said.

“But Isabela, you do cheat,” The Dalish elf replied.

“Yes, but they didn’t know that for sure,” Isabela smirked. “At any rate, we only have enough to possibly get us to another backwater planet like this one, but certainly not Kirkwall.”

“We might be able to help you with that,” Garrett suddenly came up to stand next to Anders. “We’re actually on our way back to Kirkwall, and we can easily give you a lift.”

Isabela looked Garrett up and down, a pleased little smile crossing her lips. It caused Anders to feel prickly all of a sudden.

“I suppose we could accept your help,” The pirate said. “You both seem quite reputable.” She turned to the elf, “What do you say, Merrill?”

The elf, Merrill, replied, “I don’t see why not? They seem quite nice.”

“If I might ask,” Anders said. “Why do you need to get to Kirkwall? That place isn’t exactly friendly to pirates and Dalish elves.”

“The Empire has something that I need,” Merrill said. “I believe I’ll find it in Kirkwall, or even just a clue as to where it is.”

It was quite common for the Empire to hoard artifacts that belonged to the cultures they conquered, so Anders figured she was speaking of a stolen Dalish artifact.

“The Imperials aren’t going to just let you walk up and take it,” Fenris had finally come over to join the conversation, having finished his meal.

“That’s why we aren’t planning to ask them,” Isabela winked.

Garrett grinned. “I like you two.” He held out his hand, which the women each shook. “I’m Garrett Hawke, and these are my friends Anders and Fenris.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Merrill said with a wide grin. “Are you rebels?”

Anders hissed, “Keep your voice down! There might be Imperials in this place.”

“Relax,” Isabela said. “What few Imperials are on this world are off getting drunk at the cantina on the other side of town. They never come in here.”

That didn’t make Anders feel any better, and he looked around cautiously. Nobody was looking at them, and he didn’t sense any looming danger, though that didn’t mean there was none to be found. Karl’s danger sense had always been more fine-tuned and reliable than his own. Justice could give it a boost, like the rest of his Force abilities, but Anders wasn’t about to risk revealing him just for that.

“But, to answer your question,” Garrett said. “We are indeed rebels. And we can always use new recruits, if either of you are interested.”

* * *

Once they’d finished at the diner, the group returned to the jungle and the _Hawke’s Talon_. Not a moment too soon either, as the storm clouds had come overhead and they heard rumbles of thunder in the distance. R3 had finished the repairs and was waiting inside.

Isabela looked up at the ship and whistled. “I must say, she’s a beauty.”

“Thank you,” Garrett said, smiling back. “We take good care of her, especially now that we have an actual astromech helping us out.”

“Ever thought about who she could go to in the case of your untimely demise?” Isabela smirked at him.

“Keep dreaming,” Garrett ribbed back. He headed up the ramp, with the others close behind him.

Once inside, Garrett and Anders took their usual spots, while Merrill and Isabela took the seats behind them. Fenris decided to just hang out in the kitchenette for a while and inspect the rifle he’d taken from the slavers. Once they reached Kirkwall, he planned to buy himself some armor, seeing as he was still wearing the slave rags he’d disguised himself with.

Once they went into hyperspace, Anders turned in his seat to face Isabela, “So, how do a Dalish elf and a lone pirate end up travelling together?”

“We met on Ferelden,” Merrill said. “I had just left my clan to go searching for what I needed, and I ran into Isabela while passing through Redcliffe. I told her all about why I was all alone and that I was after someone that would help me reclaim part of my people’s culture and history. She was so nice and agreed to help me.”

“After the Empire arrested my crew and had my ship stripped for parts, I felt the need to take them down a peg. What better way to do that than to steal back something from them?” Isabela added. She glanced over at Merrill, “Plus, I never say no to a cute face.” Merrill blushed slightly.

A sudden noise from the hallway caused their heads to whip around. It sounded like something was scratching at the door to the cockpit. Garrett was up in an instant, ordering R3 to take the controls while he went to investigate. Anders tensed, ready to use the Force in an instant, waiting for something to leap up and attack Garrett. 

Garrett opened the door, looked down, and then started laughing. He knelt down and picked up something, turning around with a silly grin plastered on his face.

“Looks like we got ourselves a little stowaway.”

When they saw what he was holding, it became obvious why he was smiling.

In his arms was the orange loth-cat from before.

Anders immediately shot up from his seat and sped over to Garrett, grinning so wide his cheeks would start to hurt if he kept it up.

“Hi there, little fellow,” He cooed. The loth-cat meowed and reached for him with hairless paws. Garrett handed the animal over and Anders took it into his arms, holding it (him, after a quick check) like a baby. The loth-cat purred and accepted Anders’ hand on his furry belly. “I guess you weren’t about to take no for an answer.”

Garrett beamed at Anders, no doubt delighted to see him so happy. Isabela and Merrill came over to watch, with Isabela smiling softly and Merrill wiggling her fingers above the loth-cat’s face while making cooing noises.

“So, guess you have a loth-cat now,” Garrett patted Anders on the shoulder. “What are you going to name him?”

Anders turned the cat over so he could pet his back, listening to the cat continue to purr as he nuzzled Anders’ chest. “I think I’ll call him Master Pounce-a-lot.”


	10. Chapter 10

The _Hawke’s Talon_ lit down at the Kirkwall rebel base. Looking out the viewport, one could see the ornate Orlesean vessel just outside the encampment. Garrett figured the rebels decided to keep it to add to their arsenal, seeing as they were pretty hard up for ships.

Isabela eyed the freighter with a gleam in her eye. “She’s a beauty. You think the alliance would consider selling that to me?”

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up,” Anders said. “We kind of have to hold to any resource we get, including ships.” Isabela signed, clearly disappointed.

Bethany and Carver were waiting for them as they exited the _Talon_. Bethany hugged her brother and Anders, while Carver just said, “Glad you aren’t dead.”

“I’m glad to see you too, Carver,” Garrett said dryly. He then introduced his siblings to his new friends and greetings were exchanged.

“Did the prisoners get to safety?” Fenris asked.

“Most of them, yes,” Carver replied. “Though, some of them decided to stay and join up with us rebels. They were eager to repay those who saved them, or just get back at the people who enslaved them in the first place.”

Carver pointed over his shoulder and the others looked behind him. There was a young elven woman speaking with a Twi’lek pilot. Garrett recognized her as the one he’d spoken to back on the slaver ship. She looked over and waved at him with a tiny smile. Garrett waved back at her.

“Oh, who’s this adorable fellow?” Bethany cooed.

Garrett and the others looked at the ground and saw Master Pounce-a-lot at Anders’ feet. He hadn’t even heard the cat approach them. Bethany knelt down to pet the animal, and Pounce leaned into the petting, purring softly. Garrett couldn’t help but smile at them.

“Shouldn’t you report to your Commander?” Fenris said, shaking Garrett out of his thoughts.

Garrett looked up, “Oh, er, yes. Be back in a few.”

He took one more look at Anders and Bethany playing with the loth-cat before he went to the makeshift command center. Orsino was already waiting for him, no doubt having seen the _Hawke’s Talon_ fly in.

Garrett gave his report, including the part about picking up the elves and the pirate.

“You’d better hope you know what you’re doing by bringing them here,” Orsino said gravely. “Pirates can be tricky. The Empire might make her a better offer in exchange for the lot of us.”

Orsino did have a point. Isabela spoke of valuing freedom and was certainly anti-Empire, but Garrett also had the feeling that she was mainly in this for whatever benefits she might have gained. Though, part of him also liked to think that she insisted on sticking with Merrill.

“If she does betray us, then I’ll take full responsibility for bringing her on board, Commander.”

Orsino nodded, accepting that reply, and dismissed Garrett for the day.

The others were still hanging around the _Talon_ , with Anders sitting on the grass, his pet in his lap, while Bethany sat next to him. Fenris and Carver were chatting, as were Isabela and Merrill. When Garrett approached, Carver said, “I’m taking Fenris into town to buy some things.”

“Just try not to spend it all on the biggest weapon you can find, little brother,” Garrett teased. Carver snorted. “Take the _Sparrow’s Wing_. It’ll be more discreet.”

“Whatever you say, Lieutenant,” There was a particular bite to Carver’s voice as he addressed his brother by rank. He and Fenris vanished into the Talon, and a few minutes later, the _Sparrow’s Wing_ detached from the ship and flew off.

“Is there some reason your brother isn’t very happy?”

Garrett looked over at Merrill, who was now standing next to him. “Don’t mind him, he’s just grumpy all the time.”

“Still,” Merrill watched the shuttle depart until it was just a dot, then looked over at Garrett. “So, I was wondering, if one wished to find information on artifacts or other goods the Empire might have in storage, where would one look?”

“Well, the imports warehouse in Hightown might be a good place to start,” Garrett said. “They must have a record that keeps track of confiscated and imported goods, including cultural artifacts.”

“Do you think it would be possible to go there and find out?”

“I don’t see why not. Let me just grab R3 and we can fly a shuttle over to Hightown.”

* * *

The _Lambda_ class shuttle pulled into the Capitol building hanger and set down. Meredith and Cullen awaited it. Neither of them were looking forward to this.

Word had reached Coruscant that Kirkwall had quickly become a hotbed of rebel activity, and an investigation would be necessary. Meredith and Cullen both knew that their own performances and responses to the rebels were also going to be on inspection. The Empire wished to see just how effective Meredith’s methods were. Cullen had the utmost faith that this inspector would see that Meredith was nothing but efficient and it would only be thanks to her that Kirkwall would be safe.

Cullen had also managed to overhear that Queen Celene of Orlais had pulled some strings and sent one of her own agents rather than someone from ISB. A bard, they were called.

Bards were special spies on Orlais, trained to get information through any means, and experts in uncovering blackmail material. They were one of Celene’s secret weapons. For the most part, they operated on Orlais, but lately they had been sent out to other worlds to dig up any information on the rebellion. The woman they were meeting was supposed to be one of Celene’s best bards.

The shuttle opened up and a young, redheaded woman stepped out. She wore the uniform that signaled her as an Orlesian operative. It looked like the standard Imperial uniform, only it was powder blue with gold trimming, and on the sleeve was the symbol of Orlais.

“Commander Meredith and Captain Cullen,” The woman nodded to them in turn. “Leliana Nightingale, Orlais Intelligence, at your service.”

Meredith regarded Leliana with steely eyes. “I hardly see why this is necessary, bard. You are wasting my time, and the Empire’s.”

“Even if you believe that is the case, I still have a job to do, Commander. Unless you want the ISB to come after all.”

Meredith scowled at her, but then said, “Very well. Right this way.” She led Cullen and Leliana out of the hanger bay and down the hallway that would lead to the upper section of the Capitol Building.

“The Empire has concerns that the rebel activity has begun to get out of hand,” Leliana said, getting right to the point. Her voice remained soft, as if she were just listing off items on a shopping list. “They are conducting raids, stealing food and supplies meant for our Stormtroopers, and disrupting operations.”

“We know,” Cullen sighed. “But, rest assured, we will put a stop to this madness.”

“Yet, there has been talk that Stormtroopers have also been treating civilians very badly,” Leliana said. “And they aren’t disciplined for it.”

Meredith stopped and turned to the bard. “The civilians need to learn to cooperate with us better. They refuse to see that we have their best interest at heart. We are protecting them from the rebels who only wish to use them and have them die for this senseless cause of theirs.”

Leliana regarded Meredith for a moment. “As you say, Commander.”

“The rebels love to tout the image of themselves as fighting for the oppressed, just to manipulate more and more to join their ranks,” Cullen added, as the three began walking once more. “But, I have faith in Commander Meredith to get us through this. She has a hard job and yet is never thanked for it.”

“And what if everybody in Hightown, Lowtown and even Darktown, were to rise up in open rebellion against the Empire?” Leliana inquired.

“We have a plan for that,” Meredith said darkly. “It is a last resort, but if it comes to it, then so be it.”

“Of course,” Leliana said. “Might I ask what this plan is?”

“I see no reason why you should know about it,” Cullen said. “So long as the rebels give us no reason to use it.”

“I was merely curious, as is my duty. I have also heard that the rebels have recruited two surviving Jedi.”

Meredith looked over her shoulder. “There is, yes. We will find him and bring him to justice.”

“But you have not identified them yet,” Leliana pointed out.

“Not yet,” Cullen admitted. “But just wait, bard. We will learn their identities soon enough, and once we have arrested them, then the rebellion will crumble.”

Leliana just gave him an impassive look. “I will be interested in speaking with Minister Elthina and the Governor, of course.”

“They will tell you nothing different,” Meredith said with confidence.

“We shall see.”

* * *

The imports center was located in Hightown, not very far from the spaceport. It was really just a big warehouse where all manner of goods from off-world, and even some from on-world, were kept. Calling it an imports center was just a way to make it sound fancy.

Garrett made sure he wore a hat and glasses to conceal himself, lest anyone happen to spot him. Mother still thought he was off on one of his smuggling adventures. Anders had wanted to go with him, but Garrett had pointed out that this sort of errand would be more practical if they didn’t all go in a big group, which Anders conceded to. Thus, it was just him, Merrill and R3. 

The three made their way through the building, laying low and not drawing attention to themselves. The walls were lined with all manner of goods, including weapons of unknown make and model, sealed boxes that contained Force-knew-what, artwork, and even some machines and droids. Garrett swore he saw the disembodied parts of an old B2 Seperatist droid stuffed into a box.

But, so far there was nothing that resembled a Dalish artifact. Not that he knew what a typical Dalish artifact looked like, but that’s why Merrill was here.

“The item being in this warehouse was a long shot,” Merrill admitted. “But I know for a fact that it at least came through here.”

“It could have been sent to another warehouse on Kirkwall,” Garrett suggested. “You know, in case there’s overflow. But, even if it’s sitting in Moff Tarkin’s living room, we’ll get it back, Merrill.”

“Aw, thank you, Hawke,” Merrill beamed at her friend. “You’re very sweet.”

Garrett waved them along and made his way to the back of the warehouse. If this place was similar to the one where the Inquisitor had ambushed them, then he knew where the offices were. There was sure to be a computer terminal where R3 could pull the data.

There was indeed an administrative office. Unfortunately, when Garrett carefully opened the door a crack, he saw that it was occupied. A woman sat at the computer, typing some things in, looking quite engrossed.

Garrett turned to the others and whispered, “We just have to wait until she goes on her break.” Assuming she hadn’t taken one already, or that she even got a break. Also assuming that her break wasn’t for another hour or two.

“You let me worry about her,” Merrill said.

Before Garrett could say anything, Merrill brushed past him and stepped into the office. The woman looked up and said curtly, “What do you want, elf?”

Merrill raised her hand at the woman and before Garrett could wonder what she was doing, the woman at the computer slumped in her chair, asleep. Garrett blinked. Was that..?

R3 rolled into the room, and Garrett followed her, deciding that any questions could wait. Garrett carefully slid the chair, with the sleeping woman still in it, away from the terminal so R3 could plug in. They waited patiently, until R3 gave some affirmative beeps.

Garrett had actually gotten better at understanding her without a datapad. “R3 has the data.”

“Excellent,” Merrill said, beaming and clasping her hands together. “We can look it over when we have more time. The administrator won’t be asleep forever.”

“Plus, someone might come back here,” Garrett said. “And this area is technically off-limits to non-employees.”

R3 warbled an affirmative and unplugged from the terminal. Once she was out of the way, Garrett slid the woman and her chair back into place, before the three of them slid back out.

* * *

Upon entering the lobby of the capitol building, the first thing one noticed was the large and imposing statue of Emperor Palpatine, coated in solid gold. Leliana couldn’t help but wonder how many elves down in the Lowtown alienage could have been fed and clothed with the cost of that statue. For that matter, for the cost of Elthina’s robes, Darktown could have been given some much-needed aid.

But, that wasn’t what she was here for.

The bard had insisted on seeing Elthina without Meredith and Cullen, and thankfully they’d listened. She suspected they didn’t didn’t wish to spend any more time around her than she did them. After all, they were convinced she was there to make them look bad to the higher-ups within the Empire.

Leliana made her way into the next room, which was Elthina’s office. The woman was there, with a cup of tea and a datapad nearby.

“I heard you were coming,” The older woman said pleasantly. “It is always a pleasure to greet an agent and loyal servant of the Empire.”

“My thanks for agreeing to speak with me, Minister,” Leliana sat down on the other side of the desk.

“I trust you’re finding that things are well?” Elthina asked, taking another sip of her tea.

“Actually, some of the things I read about in my report have disturbed me,”

“I understand. The rebels have caused quite a stir, and sowed much chaos on this fair planet.”

“Actually, I was referring to some of the things the Stormtroopers have been doing,” Leliana said. “It seems to me that perhaps they are becoming fanatic in their attempts to root out the rebels. Half the people they harass have no confirmed connection to the rebels, and they have made several arrests of civilians on nothing more than suspicion with no proof.”

“You should be careful who you say such things to, Nightingale,” Elthina warned. “I feel for my people, and yes, Meredith can be overzealous at times, but she’s still an admirable woman who has a hard job to do. The Stormtroopers are doing their best to keep the peace, while the rebels do nothing but stir up trouble. They will not be satisfied until there is total anarky.”

“But you outrank Meredith. Surely you can do something to hold her back, or possibly even recommend she be replaced.”

“I recommended Meredith to that position myself, and I am not about to take it away from her.”

“So that’s it?” Leliana asked. “You won’t do anything to help your people?”

“I cannot take sides,” Elthina insisted. “The citizens of Kirkwall need to simply work things out with the Stormtroopers. As for the rebels, they just need to lay down their arms and come to a peaceful compromise with the Empire and Meredith’s forces in particular.”

Leliana wasn’t sure if she was really that naive or simply playing the helpless old matron caught between two bickering children. The bard was leaning more towards the latter.

“You cannot expect to keep everyone happy and still expect things to work out in the end,” The younger woman warned.

“Things will work out,” Elthina promised. “Either the rebels will see sense, or Meredith will take care of things.”

“Meredith said she had a last resort in mind just in case she or you deemed this world beyond saving. I’m sure my superiors would love to hear what it is.”

“I am not about to speak of Meredith behind her back,” Despite her continued politeness, there was a definite finality to her words. No matter how many times Leliana would bring it up, Elthina would refuse to reveal anything. This conversation had gotten her nowhere.

Leliana stood up. “Thank you for your time, Minister. I will take my leave.” She turned on her heel, but Elthina spoke up.

“The governor will tell you much of the same things that I have, Mistress Nightingale,” The old woman said, pouring herself some more tea. “He will tell you to simply let Meredith keep doing her job. Let us just hope that the rebels surrender before Meredith’s hand is forced.”

* * *

It was around lunchtime when Garrett, Merrill and R3 returned to base. Anders was waiting on the ramp of the _Hawke’s Talon_ and grinned when he saw Garrett.

“Mission successful?”

“You know it,” Garrett bragged. “Did Carver and Fenris return yet?”

“They came back shortly before you did,” Anders waved them along and the four of them went into the ship.

Bethany and Anders had made some sandwiches for lunch and, since the table wouldn’t fit all of them, the group decided to just sit on the floor and eat. Carver, Isabela, and Fenris were busy chatting while they ate, as the others joined them. R3 just settled into a corner to wait, where Master Pounce jumped on top of her dome.

Fenris now sported some armor, though he’d kept the rifle he’d confiscated from the slaver. Garrett figured that he hadn’t had enough credits to buy himself a new weapon. Or perhaps he just liked the irony of a former slave using a slaver’s own weapon against them.

“That thing you did back at the warehouse,” Garrett said, in between bites of sandwich. “That was the Force, wasn’t it?”

Merrill nodded. “Indeed it was.”

Anders almost choked on his food. Bethany handed him some water, which he drank gratefully. When he finished, he looked at Merrill with wide eyes. “You’re a Jedi?”

“Not a Jedi, no,” Merrill shook her head. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on her now. “The Dalish have Force sensitives, but they are not Jedi, nor are they Sith. A dalish elf born with the ability to use the Force is known as a mage. Mages are honored and respected parts of our clans, treasured above all else. Each clan is led by a mage with the title of Keeper, and their apprentice and heir is a mage with the title of First.”

Fenris looked at Isabela. “Did you know this?”

“Of course I did,” The pirate replied. “She told me when we first met.”

“And you said nothing?” Fenris raised an eyebrow.

“You never asked.”

“Go on, Merrill,” Garrett said gently.

“Mages and Jedi do have some of the same abilities,” The dalish elf explained. “But, we also have some abilities that are only taught to dalish mages.” She suddenly looked sad. “It’s said that there was a time when every elf in the galaxy had a strong connection to the Force. Now, every dalish elf born with Force sensitivity is precious to us, and we protect them with our lives.”

“Don’t you have trouble with Inquisitors?” Anders asked.

“Sometimes, yes. We have become good at hiding ourselves from the Sith ever since the Empire arose, but sometimes an Inquisitor will stray too close to one of our ships and sense our mages. When that happens, the clan will fight alongside their Keeper and other mages to make sure the Inquisitor does not leave alive. A clan is even willing to die to protect their Keeper.”

Garrett could see why. An Inquisitor who left alive would just return with backup, and slaughter the entire clan before killing or kidnapping the Keeper and any other Dalish mages. He could only hope that a Dalish mage’s power could rival that of an Inquisitor, especially if they all ganged up on one.

“And Dalish mages who fall to the dark side?” Fenris asked.

“That actually happens very rarely,” Merrill said. “But, if it does happen, then the clan does everything they can to bring the mage back to themselves. Failing that…” She trailed off, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“How many Force sensitives do you have per clan?” Anders asked.

“Oh, a clan can have as few as two, or as many as a dozen. In fact, if a clan has any extra mages, then those mages may be sent to another clan in need of some. I was one such mage. I was born to a different clan, but given to clan Sabre during one of the gatherings, because they had too little mages. In fact, after the Jedi purge, more than a few elven padawans who survived were found by Dalish clans and taken in.”

“Do you use lightsabers?” Bethany asked.

“Actually, we use staves,” Merrill patted the staff laying on the floor beside her. “We channel and focus our power through them. They are made of a special wood that is very strong and energy resistant, so it cannot be destroyed by a lightsaber. However, much like a lightsaber, they do use kyber crystals.”

Merrill pointed to a spot on the tip of her staff, where the wood was wound around a small metal orb. The metal bit began to glow green. Garrett stared at it in awe, even as Merrill took her finger away and the glow faded.

“Amazing,” Anders said. “That there’s an entire sect of Force sensitives out there, whom the Empire hasn’t wiped out.”

Fenris ate the last few bites of his food before standing up. “If you’ll excuse me.” Without another word, he left the room, towards the rear of the ship. Carver excused himself and followed the elf.

“Don’t mind him,” Anders said to Merrill. “He hasn’t had good experience with Force sensitives.”

“He’s had a pretty hard life in general,” Garrett added. “He just needs time and personal space.”

“I hope he finds a reason to be less grumpy,” Merrill said somberly, looking out at where Fenris had gone.

Isabela stood up, having finished her sandwich. “Come on, let’s get that data onto a datacard so we can start looking it over.”

R3 beeped an affirmative and began to follow Isabela and Merrill, causing the loth cat to hop off her.


	11. Chapter 11

Things were never quiet for long when one was part of a rebellion. Two weeks had gone by, and those weeks had been full of missions. Usually those missions involved stealing from the Stormtroopers or diverting their attention from another rebel operation in progress.

Today, Orsino sent Hawke’s group to rescue some rebels who had been captured and locked in the Gallows prison. Their mission hadn’t gone according to plan, resulting in their leader, Grace, being killed and the rest of that team being arrested.

A quick recon of the Gallows prison had revealed that the front door was guarded by a pair of Stormtroopers at all times, as was the back door. A floor plan, obtained through a quick splice job, showed that the place was also rigged with cameras in the hallways and lasers along the outside walls, just in case of a jailbreak or someone trying to bust in.

Fortunately, they weren’t planning on using the doors, front or back.

The group stood by the closest entrance to the sewer. Kirkwall had all manner of underground passages, which in the past had been used as escape routes for slaves, and later by clone troopers during the Clone Wars.

Today, it was their entrance into the Gallows.

“Everybody remember what to do?” Garrett asked the others.

Bethany spoke up, “Merril and I are to stand by in case you need backup. Meanwhile, you, Anders, Carver and R3 sneak into the Gallows.”

“Excellent,” Garrett nodded. He pulled out his commlink, “You in position, Starling 5?”

_“That I am, handsome,”_ Isabela reported.

“And you, Starling 7?”

_”I am in position,”_ Fenris replied.

“Excellent,” Garrett put away his commlink. Fenris and Isabela’s duties were to provide recon from the nearby rooftops. He turned to the astromech, “Open it up, R3.”

R3 gave an affirmative noise and plugged into the control panel for the hatch, which opened in no time.

“How do we know there aren’t Stormtroopers down there waiting for us?” Carver asked.

“We checked already,” Garrett reminded him. “There’s nothing down there but rats. Just remember, we don’t want them following us back down there once we get the others out.”

“Just come back in one piece, please,” Bethany said.

“Have you ever known us to not be careful?” Garrett teased, before he and the others descended into the sewer. Bethany and Merrill closed the hatch behind them. 

With the hatch closed, there was barely any light to see by, as most of the lights were long since burnt out or broken. Garrett and Carver drew their glow-rods, providing illumination. There were three tunnels before them, to the left, right and center.

“According to the intel, the Gallows are that way,” Garrett said, pointing to the right tunnel. As they began to walk that way, Garrett pulled out a piece of chalk to mark the tunnel with an arrow.

“I heard you talking to Mother this morning,” Carver said as they continued down the tunnel. “How long do you think she’ll keep buying that the current job is just taking us longer than expected?”

“Would you rather we tell her the truth?” Garrett shot back. “That her children have joined the Alliance and we’re putting our lives on the line to subvert Meredith and the Empire?”

“Maybe not, but eventually she or Gamlen are going to get suspicious, especially once years go by and we still haven’t come home.”

“We can just tell her that another job was already lined up by the time we got back and things are just getting super busy.”

“Uh huh,” Carver snorted. “And when she stops buying that and realizes that you’re hiding something? Or Hell, what if we get a mission that puts us right in Lowtown and she just happens to spot us while she’s out on a walk? Or what if the Empire manages to get holos of us and they end up on the HoloNet?”

Garrett paused and turned towards Carver. “You think I enjoy lying to Mother?” Carver didn’t respond. “The less she knows, the better. She’s already had to leave Ferelden, it’s not fair to make her leave Kirkwall too.”

“Do you two think you can save this conversation until after the mission?” Anders cut in. “Hopefully before Meredith has our comrades tortured for information?”

“Whatever,” Carver grumbled, but started moving once more when the other two men did.

Still, Garrett had to admit to himself that Carver wasn’t entirely wrong. Eventually their mother and uncle would start to wonder if something was up. So far they’d yet to have a smuggling gig that didn’t last more than two weeks, with their longest gig being a month long since they’d had to go all the way to Wild Space. They were fighting a battle that wouldn’t see an end for a very long time, and there was no way either Leandra or Gamlen would keep believing Garrett’s stories. But how was Garrett to break it to his mother that the job turned out to be a trap, leading to them nearly being killed by an Inquisitor, which led them to joining the rebels?

Their mother still held out hope of rejoining high society, gaining back the mansion and the fortune, and even marrying off her kids to other nobles’ kids to strengthen family ties. Before that last job, Leandra had strongly hinted that the Rienholds’ daughter was interested in Garrett. To find out her kids were rebels would dash that hope.

Garrett felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over to see Anders at his side. Seeing Anders there, feeling his hand, it made Garrett’s worries melt away. He gave the ex-Jedi an appreciative smile, which Anders returned, before squeezing his shoulder comfortingly.

He wondered how Mother would feel if she knew that her son had no intention to court some noble’s daughter, because he was already interested in another.

It wasn’t a very long walk before R3 paused and the four of them looked up at a hatch directly overhead.

“This should be the place,” Garrett said. “I’ll take a look.”

The map of the sewer said that this tunnel took one directly to the Gallows. Trouble was, it didn’t say where in the Gallows it led. Hopefully Garrett wasn’t about to peek into the locker room or the guards’ break room.

Garrett climbed the ladder and opened the hatch just a crack to take a look around. The room was dark and barren, with several shelves lining the wall. Whatever this was, it certainly wasn’t a break room or refresher. Closing the hatch, he looked down at the others and nodded an affirmative. Anders followed right behind Garrett, followed by Carver and then R3 on her jets.

They took a quick look around with their glow-rods. This was a closet full of jumpsuits for engineers or other manual laborers. Now that he had a better look, Garrett saw that tools and mechanical parts for machines and droids lined the shelves.

It was a rather odd place for an entrance to the sewer, Garrett thought. Then again, Kirkwall was full of secrets. Not to mention that nobody ever paid attention to the manual laborers, or where they put their things.

Getting an idea, Garrett grabbed a pair of jumpsuits and tossed them at the other two. “Put these on. We’re going undercover.”

* * *

Anders kept his senses open as he and the others walked down the hallway. Garrett used his chalk to make a tiny mark on the door, so that way they would know where the hatch was. The spliced intel said that there was no camera in this hallway, likely as a cost-saving measure, since there was just a series of utility closets here. It amazed Anders just how little thought the Empire put into everything, so assured were they in this prison.

They split up, each taking a different hallway. R3 stayed in the closet, and whichever one of them found the prisoners first would contact her to let her know where to go.

Along with the jumpsuits, they had also found hats and goggles, which would help to keep their identities. Whenever he passed by any Stormtroopers, Anders kept his head down, and the troopers just ignored him. Garrett had counted on that. Sweet, clever Garrett.

He felt a stirring of thoughts that weren’t his own.

Figured he’d bonded with a spirit of justice who also happened to be a romantic at heart. Or perhaps he’d become a romantic thanks to seeing memories of Anders and Karl. Sometimes Anders wondered if he would have agreed to the union if he’d actually had time to think about it, and knew that it would involve such intimacy. Being bonded to a spirit meant that you were never really alone with your thoughts, and your companion was privy to anything you felt and remembered. Not that Anders regretted it. Certainly, it had been weird at first to have someone constantly in his head, listening in on his thoughts and delving into his memories. Yet, now all he could think was that he was never truly alone. When his mind went to dark places, Justice was there to comfort him and bring out good memories, while washing him with love and comfort.

Even if he were to ever find a way to separate from Justice, he would refuse to do it. Justice was too special to him.

Justice still found Anders ridiculous for keeping things bottled up when it came to Hawke. Anders reminded him that they were in the middle of a war. Perhaps if they all survived, they could have something with the man.

All of these were thoughts for another day. They had a mission, and couldn’t get sidetracked.

Voices around the corner, one of whom sounded familiar. Anders quickly turned towards the wall and pretended to be very interested in a poster encouraging the guards to report any suspicious activity.

“I spoke to Captain Vallen of Kirkwall Security,” Said a woman. Anders didn’t recognize her voice, but heard a distinct Orleasan accent. Despite his curiosity, he dared not turn to glance at her yet. The woman continued, “She has concerns that the Stormtroopers are harassing her officers, and Meredith has been trying to micromanage them.”

“Captain Vallen is welcome to bring her complaints to Meredith or myself personally,” This voice Anders did recognize. Captain Cullen Rutherford. “But for now she’ll just have to accept that the Stormtroopers are the only thing keeping Kirkwall safe right now and it’s in her best interest to cooperate fully with them.”

“And you aren’t worried that Meredith is going overboard in her desire to do something about the rebels?”

Anders heard them pass by him as they continued speaking. Cullen replied, “You only just got here, bard, you don’t know how bad things are on Kirkwall. Meredith is a strong woman. She has to be, to keep up with the demands of the people and the rebel insurgents who just want to cause trouble.”

Sensing that their backs were to him now, Anders subtly glanced over at them. The woman was a redhead, and she wore a blue uniform with gold trim. He’d never seen that uniform color, but he did know something about what a bard was, having heard them mentioned during his travels with Karl. He would have to report her presence to the others, and Orsino, later.

He turned in the opposite direction as them and resumed his walk.

_It’ll take forever to search this entire prison,_ He thought.

**_I have an idea._ ** __

_Let’s hear it._

Justice explained his idea to Anders. He had to admit, it was a sound one. They just needed somewhere private to carry it out. Fortunately, Anders spotted a refresher and ducked into it. Their luck was still going strong, because the ‘fresher was empty. Anders ducked into the nearest stall, closed his eyes and allowed Justice to take over. Together, they stretched out with the Force, searching for the rebel prisoners. With Justice enhancing his powers, he could easily sense from here which minds belonged to Stormtroopers, technicians, and prisoners.

He felt around and first found the wing where gang members were kept. Coterie and Carta members who got greedy when dealing with the Stormtroopers or were sold out by their own gangs so the Empire would leave them in peace. No rebels there.

Resuming the search, Anders felt something that made him and Justice’s stomach twist in a knot.

More prisoners, but they weren’t rebels or criminals. They were just ordinary citizens. Those who had looked at a Stormtrooper the wrong way, painted anti-Empire graffiti on a wall, or had been seen in the presence of someone later confirmed to be a rebel. Meredith had sent for all of them to be arrested and locked away. Some of them were brave in the face of their arrest, but Anders and Justice could sense the fear from the rest of them.

It made Anders want to break something. He wanted to tear down this entire prison and free every last person in here. Those feelings resonated with Justice, who agreed wholeheartedly with Anders. Tear down the walls and level the entire Gallows.

But they had to play things smart for now. Perhaps they could return and sneak prisoners out little by little, before planning a bigger raid.

Anders resumed the search, stretching out again, and this time he found the rebels. There were fewer than there should have been. Grace’s group had been made of about ten rebels, but he only sensed five minds.

Justice sank back down into Anders’ consciousness as he was given the joystick back, and they returned to themselves. Anders pulled out his comm, “Starling 2 to Starlings 1, 4 and 8. I found the prisoners. They’re in C Block on this floor.”

_”Copy that, Starling 2,”_ Garrett replied. _”Starling 4, return to the entry point. Starling 8, meet me at C Block.”_

Everyone confirmed their orders before signing off.

* * *

It didn’t take very long for Garrett and R3 to catch up with Anders, meeting him just around the corner from C Block. A Stormtrooper was standing guard by the door. R3 had already taken the liberty of deactivating the cameras in this part of the prison, meaning they could go in and free the prisoners at will. After that, it was just a matter of avoiding the Stormtrooper patrols until they got back to the closet.

“You think they’ll buy it if we tell them that the electro-torture chair needs to be repaired?” Garrett asked.

“Leave this to me,” Anders said, turning the corner and approaching the guard. The Stormtrooper turned towards him, but didn’t say anything. Andes waved his hand in front of the man’s face and said, “You will leave your post and take a break.”

“I will leave my post and take a break,” The Stormtrooper replied in a flat tone, before he turned and left the hallway. Anders waved the others along and the three of them entered C Block.

“You’re amazing, you know that,” Garrett beamed, patting Anders on the shoulder. Anders felt his face warm up.

Garrett and Anders approached the nearest cell and looked within. Inside was a young man, probably no older than eighteen. He sat on the floor, hugging his knees, and staring into space, his body trembling. Anders could sense his fear, because it was quite strong. Garrett had only spoken to the boy once, but he remembered his name.

“Alain?”

The boy looked up and his face lit up, like he’d just been given food after being starved. Quickly standing up, he ran towards the cell door. “Lieutenant Hawke!”

“Hold on, we’re getting you guys out of here,” Garrett promised. R3 immediately got to work, rolling to the back of the hallway and plugging into the nearest data-port.

Anders asked, “Where are the others?”

Alain frowned and hung his head. “This is it. Meredith decided to make an example of us and had some of us executed at random.”

Anders’ gut twisted. He was afraid that was what had happened, but hearing it confirmed didn’t make it any easier. R3 beeped triumphantly as the cells opened up. The surviving rebels cautiously stepped out, as if they were expecting Stormtroopers to come out at any second and just shoot them.

“Come on, let’s get you guys out of here,” Garrett said. Waving for the others to follow him, he took a peek just outside the door, making sure the coast was clear. He signaled for everyone to follow him again.

“Wait.”

All eyes turned to the one who had spoken. It was a young Pantoran man who Anders didn’t know very well but had seen at the base. He looked up at Anders with pleading eyes.

“There’s a girl here, her name is Ella,” the Pantoran said. “She was arrested and brought in not long after we were. I heard her crying and begging to be let go this morning as they dragged her to a cell. She’s not a rebel! She’s a civilian I spoke to a few times, and now the Stormtroopers are going to interrogate her or worse! She doesn’t know anything, and they’re going to kill her when she can’t tell them anything!”

“Calm down,” Anders said, putting his hands on the young man’s shoulders. “Do you know where she’s being kept?” The Pantoran shook his head. “Don’t worry. I promise, I’ll get her out.”

Garrett reached out to the ex-Jedi, “Anders…”

“I’ll find her and get her out,” Anders stated again, looking at Garrett.

Garrett regarded Anders for a moment, then nodded his head. “Not alone you aren’t. We’ll get everybody out, then go find Ella.” Anders felt his heart flutter. He knew he could count on Garrett. He always could.

“We’ll need some better disguises,” Anders pointed out.

“You leave that to me,” Garrett said, and left the cell block.

* * *

Garrett was gone for only five minutes but those five minutes felt like an eternity to Anders. He stretched his mind out with the Force, making sure that nothing had happened to him and that he was still alive and unhurt. When Garrett returned, it was a wave of relief. In his arms were two sets of Stormtrooper armor.

“How did you get those?” Anders asked.

“I told them that I had pornographic holos,” Garrett grinned cheekily, before tossing one of the helmets to Anders.

After Anders and Garrett exchanged the jumpsuits for the armor, they led the prisoners outside of the cell block. Hopefully it would just look like a pair of guards were escorting the prisoners to another section. Thankfully, any Stormtroopers they passed seemed to figure that was the case, as they only spared the group some passing glances and then went on their way. Anders wondered if Stormtroopers ever actually questioned anything.

Still, Anders felt like sweating in his armor, and not because it made him hot. Hopefully they weren’t too late to save Ella.

**_Remind me again why we cannot simply save all of the civilian prisoners, instead of just this one._ ** __

_Nothing would make me happier than that, Justice, trust me._

When they found the door with the chalk marking, Garrett made sure the coast was clear before opening the door and sliding inside, where he opened the hatch in the floor. “Alright, single-file, everyone.”

The rebels filed into the closet, one at a time, and quickly descended the ladder. Once the last one was down, followed by R3, Garrett closed the hatch and went back into the hallway. His commlink beeped. It was Carver.

_”Starling 1, you want to tell me why you’re not here?”_

“Slight change of plans, Starling 4. Starling 2 and I have something we need to take care of.”

_”Fine, but I’m not going to be the one to explain this to the Commander.”_

The brothers signed off and Garrett turned to Anders. “Do you know where the civilian prisoners are being kept? Seems like a good place to start.”

Anders nodded. “They’re in F Block. Follow me.”

Despite being huge, the Gallows had convenient signs pointing to the various sections of the prison and it wasn’t long before they found F Block. Anders could only hope this part would be smooth too. This place had a feeling of fear, hopelessness and death about it, and he wanted to be out soon.

Just like with C Block, there was a Stormtrooper guarding the door. The two rebels approached the guard and Garrett said, “We’re here to relieve you.”

“About time,” The Stormtrooper grunted, and left without another word.

Anders opened the door to the cell and the two went inside. Inside, they could hear the sounds of weeping and attempts to comfort each other with words. That feeling of hopelessness and fear was at its strongest here. These people had no idea what was going to happen to them, and some of them probably didn’t even know why they’d been arrested in the first place.

“Is there a girl named Ella here?” Garrett asked. 

In reply was a whimper, along with someone shouting, “She doesn’t know anything! We won’t let you take her!”

Both men removed their helmets and went deeper into the cell block. Garrett was saying that they were rebels, there on behalf of a friend of the girl, but Anders wasn’t listening anymore. The former Jedi had to pause, because he saw a couple of prisoners, one human and one Twi’lek, with visible bruising on their faces. They looked fresh.

**_We cannot just leave them all here._ ** __

_No. We cannot. To only save one and leave the rest would be an injustice._

“Listen to me,” Anders said, raising his voice. He drew his lightsaber and opened it with a _snap-hiss_. That got everyone’s attention. The prisoners stared at Anders with a sudden sense of awe, their fear melting away, replaced with hope. “I was a Jedi, and I am here to save every single one of you.”

A girl, probably in her late teens, came up to the bars of her cell. “Please, get us out. Those Stormtroopers might come back at any second.”

“Anders, what are you doing?” Garrett hissed. “This wasn’t the plan.”

“I’m changing the plan, Garrett,” Anders hissed back. “I can’t just leave everybody here. Meredith’s men will kill them.”

Garrett regarded his friend, then nodded. “You’re right. Just one problem, we told R3 to go with Carver.”

“Not a problem,” Anders went up to the nearest cell, holding up his lightsaber. “Stand clear.” The prisoners did as asked, allowing Anders to slice the bars of the cell and grant the prisoners an escape. He did this to the other cells, until everybody was out.

The rebels put their helmets back on once Anders finished and put his lightsaber away. “Everybody stay close,” Garrett ordered. “As far as anyone is concerned, we’re just escorting you guys to another section of the prison.”

This was going to be tricker. There were at least fifteen people here, compared to the five of the rebels they’d saved just a short while ago. Not to mention someone might get suspicious if two groups of prisoners were noted to be going in the same direction in the same day, which would possibly lead to the discovery of the sewer entrance in the closet.

If they had to, they would improvise.

The group was halfway there when Anders motioned for them to stop. He could hear voices approaching their location. It was Cullen and the bard again. If they got any closer, they would spot the massive group of prisoners, and that would lead to questions.

“I’ll distract them,” Garrett whispered. “You get the prisoners to the hatch.”

* * *

“I don’t know how they do things on Orlais, bard, but I assure you that this prison is completely secure,” Cullen told Leliana. He didn’t see why she insisted on sticking around Kirkwall for as long as she had. Surely she had enough to take back to her superiors. The Emperor himself would have to commend Meredith for how she kept such a tight grip on Kirkwall.

“Be that as it may…” Leliana didn’t even get to finish when a Stormtrooper rounded the corner too quickly and ran into her.

“Terribly sorry!” The Stormtrooper held up his hands in a placating gesture.

Before Leliana could say anything, Cullen cut in, “Do try to be more careful next time, trooper.” His tone wasn’t exactly friendly.

“Of course,” the Stormtrooper replied weakly. “Won’t happen again, I promise. I...”

Before the Stormtrooper could say another word, Cullen’s commlink beeped and he held up a hand for the trooper to be quiet. The Stormtrooper nodded and shut up, but didn’t move along. Meredith needed to have a talk with her recruiting agents, if this was the sort they pulled from.

Answering his commlink, the voice on the other end said, _”Captain, I think there’s rebels in the prison!”_

“What?”

_“C Block was left unguarded, and when I went to check inside, it was empty. The rebel prisoners were all gone.”_

Cullen paused. Rebels, in the Gallows? That was impossible. The security systems would have seen them coming in or roaming the hallways. Unless they found a way to slice into the cameras. No matter, because they would be caught soon, once they tried to leave.

“Tell the Warden I want the building locked down and searched. If there are rebels, they won’t get very far.”

The man on the other end gave an affirmative and signed off. Cullen turned to the Stormtrooper who had bumped into them, but he was walking off at a brisk pace.

“You there!”

The Stormtrooper paused and turned around. “Sir?”

“Report to the main hallway for disciplinary action.”

The trooper nodded. “You got it, sir.” He turned around and started back down the hallway where he came from.

Except that was the opposite direction of the main hallway. Cullen narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Halt,” The trooper stopped again and turned around. “Take off your helmet, soldier.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I have a very bad skin rash. It’s contagious.”

“A likely story,” Cullen replied. He drew his pistol and Leliana did the same as they approached the trooper. The Stormtrooper stood there, frozen, his fingers twitching near his hip, where his blaster was. “You grab that and we shoot you.”

Once he was right in front of the trooper, Cullen grabbed the man’s helmet and forced it off. His eyes widened with shock.

“Hawke?”


	12. Chapter 12

Anders guided the last of the civilians, a girl who looked to be no older than fifteen, into the closet and down the sewer hatch. The girl emphasised once more how grateful she was to the Jedi and his friend as she descended the ladder. Anders told her that she could thank him by getting to safety, before reaching down the hatch to hand her his glow rod.

He looked over his shoulder. Where was Garrett? Justice was getting antsy, and wanted to go looking for him.

Poking his head down the hatch, Anders said, “Follow the chalk arrows, they’ll get you to safety.”

“What about you, master Jedi?” Asked one of the escapees.

“Don’t worry about me, I have to go get my friend. Follow the arrows,” Anders closed the hatch.

Quickly exiting the closet and using the Force to lock it, Anders made his way back to where Hawke had broken from the group. Even though he and Justice wanted to just run back, he made sure to keep his walk at a normal pace, so he would draw less attention. All kinds of thoughts ran through his mind. Perhaps Garrett just got caught up with some Stormtroopers looking for someone to chat with, he tried to tell himself.

Upon reaching the intersecting hallways where he separated from Hawke, Anders peeked around the corner and, to his horror, saw an unmasked Hawke cornered by Cullen and the bard. Cullen was asking him something, making Garrett stutter, and Anders sensed that he was close to panicking. Fears of Garrett being captured or just shot raced through his mind.

Dashing out from around the corner, Anders reached out with the Force and pushed Cullen to the side, away from Hawke. The bard wasn’t quick enough and Cullen fell right onto her with a yelp from them both as they sprawled on the ground.

Garrett’s head darted over to Anders, his eyes wide. Anders waved to his friend and Garrett nodded, putting his helmet back on and dashing away with the ex-Jedi down the hallway. They had to get out before Cullen and that woman got back up and gave chase.

“Did the others make it out?” Garrett put his helmet back on his head.

“Yes. But, Garrett, let’s find another way out. We’ve used that exit too many times already and we can’t risk it being found.”

“The Gallows are being locked down, we can’t just waltz out the front or back door.”

“Then we make our own door.”

* * *

Leliana managed to wriggle out from under Cullen and get back to her feet, before giving him a hand up.

“Did you know that man?” She asked.

Cullen nodded, still dazed from the sheer surprise at seeing Garrett Hawke just now and what had followed. At first, he thought that Hawke had pushed him, yet when he replayed the memory, he hadn’t seen Hawke make any such move. No, something invisible had shoved him into Leliana. That could only mean one thing. Whoever had pushed him was a Jedi.

Hawke was a rebel and in league with the Jedi from the Bone Pit.

He didn’t want to believe it, yet the truth was looking him right in the face. It couldn’t be true. However, Cullen would have known if Hawke had taken him up on his offer to join the Stormtroopers. Meredith would have told him if Hawke had decided to take up the mantle of the Stormtrooper, and Cullen had been all prepared to personally hand the man his helmet. He had only spoken to Hawke once, but that one conversation had convinced Cullen that Hawke was on the level.

But instead, he had gone and joined the rebels. That made him an enemy. Something had to be done.

Leliana was saying something, but he wasn’t paying attention. Whatever she had to say, it wasn’t important. What was important was getting Hawke to either come around to the right side or stand down, and there was one sure-fire way to do so.

Getting out his commlink, he tuned in to Meredith’s frequency. “Commander, there’s something you should know.”

* * *

“Any sign of them yet, Starling 6?”

“Not yet, Starling 3,” Isabela replied, still looking through her microbinoculars. Bethany was sounding truly desperate at this point, and who could blame her? Her older brother and Anders should have come out by now. Carver said they had taken up an unscheduled ‘side mission’, the meaning of which soon became clear once more people came up through the sewer entrance. From the sound of it, the extra escapees were civilians, and Isabela had drawn her own conclusions.

_“How about you, Starling 7?”_

_”Negative.”_

Isabela had to admit, she was getting worried too. She wasn’t the type to make friends easily, but the more time she spent with Hawke, the more she enjoyed his company. Not because he was easy on the eyes, but because he was a good listener and didn’t judge her for being a pirate. Sometimes she found herself thinking that it was too bad that he clearly had his eyes on that handsome ex-Jedi, or she might have invited him to jump in bed with her by now.

The other question was what they were going to do with the extra escapees. The rebels could just go back to the base, but the civilians had to go somewhere that the Empire wouldn’t just find them again. Isabela found herself wondering if it would have been better to just drop Merrill off and leave this rebel stuff to others.

A flash of light caught her attention and Isabela focused her microbinoculars in on a wall on the west side of the Gallows. A green lightsaber blade was cutting a circle in the wall from the inside, creating a hole, and then a pair of Stormtroopers climbed out of said hole. The outside lasers fired at them, but the Stormtrooper holding the lightsaber deflected them easily as the two made their escape down an alley.

Before Isabela or Fenris could report, Hawke’s voice came through the commlink, _“Starling 1 and 2 here. We made it out and are swinging back around to your location, but we have a bit of a problem. I’ll explain when we get there.”_

Anders and Hawke had already shed their Stormtrooper armor by the time Isabela and Fenris climbed down from their vantage points and rejoined the others by the sewer gate. The freed rebels were still there, as were the civilians, all bunched together.

“Alright, what’s the problem?” Carver asked.

“Cullen saw my face. He knows I’m a rebel.”

The others exchanged worried and surprised looks.

“Listen carefully, everyone,” Hawke said. “Fenris and Alain, you two grab a speeder bus and take the civilians to Dark Town. Isabela and Merrill, you take the _Sparrow’s Wing_ and get the others back to base. The rest of you, you’re coming with me onto the _Hawke’s Talon_. Mother is in danger.”

* * *

Leandra idly watched the HoloNet, not even really paying attention to any of the news stories. It was just more reports of rebel activity, assurances that the Empire had everything in hand, and the occasional fluff piece. But all she could think about were her still absent children.

They had never taken this long to complete a job, even if Garrett had said they’d immediately gotten another offer as soon as they’d finished their last assignment. The next time her son called, she would demand that he and the others return to Kirkwall already, and they would figure out another way to make money. There were plenty of legitimate ways to do so. Her old friend’s offer to work at the TIE factory was still open, he’d said. Or they could get jobs repairing houses, since there was plenty of that to be had in Lowtown and especially Darktown. If they could put up with the extortion rackets by the gangs or the Empire’s constant demands, they could even get jobs helping out at the various shops or restaurants.

Gamlen, for the most part, just seemed to like having the extra room, without his nephews and niece taking up so much space in the small hovel. Yet, she knew that he worried too, in his own way.

“You ask me, those three are hiding something,” Gamlen said, looking up from his mug of caf. “That Jedi probably got them into some hot water.”

“Must you assume the worst case scenario?” Leandra scowled at her brother.

“I’m just saying, things haven’t been the same since he came into the picture. Suddenly, they’re not telling us things, they’re gone for almost a month, and I’ve heard you talking to that oldest boy of yours over the holo. He always sounds cagey when he gives you an update.”

“He has his reasons,” Leandra insisted. “He’s a smuggler, and he has to hide what he does from everybody.”

“You just keep telling yourself that,” Gamlen took another sip of caf. “Just you wait, eventually, he’s going to get on the wrong side of some pirate or get himself indebted to a Hutt. Or that Jedi is going to get them in trouble.” He sighed. “This never would have happened if you hadn’t run off and just married that nice man Mother and Father chose for you.”

Leandra was about to say something back, when the door chime rang. For a moment, she let herself believe that it was her children finally coming home. Except, Garrett would have called to tell her that they were on their way home. More likely, it was just a neighbor coming to say hello. Whoever it was, Leandra stood up and went to answer the door.

It turned out, not only was it not her kids or their new friend, it wasn’t even a neighbor.

It was Captain Cullen Rutherford, the man from the holoNet reports. Surprise turned to confusion when she saw the two Stormtroopers at his side who had their weapons drawn and aimed at her. Before she could ask what was going on, Cullen spoke.

“Leandra Hawke, by decree of Commander Meredith, you are under arrest.”

Leandra put a hand to her heart and backed away into the house. “Why? What have I done?” She squeaked. She was more than certain that she’d acted within the law the entire time they’d been on Kirkwall.

“We have reason to believe that your son, Garrett, is involved with the rebel insurgents,” Cullen followed her, entering the house, followed by the Stormtroopers. “As such, we would like you to come with us for questioning.”

“This is absurd! My children aren’t rebels, they’re just couriers! They’re not even on this planet right now.”

“Your son was caught impersonating a Stormtrooper,” Cullen pressed. “He then fled from us when we confronted him, and may have aided in the escape of rebel prisoners.”

Leandra shook her head. What this man was saying surely wasn’t true. Her children couldn’t possibly be rebels. She would have known, or seen them around town if that were the case. Surely they would have told her if they were rebels. This had to be some kind of mistake or misunderstanding.

“I haven’t seen my son in weeks,” Leandra pleaded. “He’s been off on a long assignment.”

“Nonetheless, we can’t be too cautious,” Cullen said, taking out a pair of cuffs.

Gamlen finally put down his mug and stood beside his sister, scowling at the Captain and the Stormtroopers. “This is absurd! We haven’t done anything and you’ve no proof. You can’t arrest us just on suspicion.”

Cullen narrowed his eyes at Gamlen, then turned to the Stormtroopers. “Arrest him too, just in case.” The Stormtrooper nodded and produced another pair of cuffs. Gamlen held up his hands defensively, his eyebrows shooting up.

Right as the men were about to advance on the two, the sound of a ship’s engine began to near them, getting louder and louder, until it passed right overhead. The Stormtroopers looked at each other, then to the Captain. Before anyone could say anything, the sound returned, only this time it didn’t just pass overhead, but remained outside.

Cullen turned to his Stormtroopers. “Go see what’s going on out there.”

The armored men nodded and ran outside. The moment they were outside, Leandra heard blaster fire. She also swore that she heard a distinct _snap-hiss_ amidst the sound of the ship’s turbolift. No sooner had the shooting started before the two Stormtroopers gave death grunts and the shooting stopped.

Cullen didn’t move, but drew his blaster and aimed it at the door. Panic shot through Leandra when she heard someone running up to the house, looking from the door to Cullen’s blaster.

Consequences be damned, Leandra shoved Cullen, causing him to fall and hit the floor with a grunt, his blaster skidding just a short distance away.

“Have you gone mad!” Gamlen demanded.

Just then, Garrett burst through the front door. “Mother! Uncle! Are you alright?”

“Garrett!” Leandra ran towards her son, wrapping her arms around him. Garrett squeezed her tightly in return, before they pulled away. “What’s going on? This man said you’re a rebel.”

“I’ll explain later, I promise. We just have to get you and Gamlen to safety.”

Gamlen was about to protest, but a sharp look from Garrett and Leandra made him shut his mouth.

Garrett ran his mother and uncle out the door, where sure enough, the _Hawke’s Talon_ hovered nearby. The buildings in this part of Lowtown were quite short, and Gamlen’s house faced a particularly wide road. Therefore, the ship was able to get just a few meters above the ground, the roaring of the turbolifts filling the empty streets and kicking up dirt. The bodies of the two Stormtroopers lay nearby, their armor marred with blaster marks.

The ship’s ramp was open, and Bethany stood on it, lightsaber drawn. She waved at her family with her free hand. “Hold on!” She shouted, reaching out for her mother. Leandra felt herself being lifted up and slowly brought towards the _Talon_. Once her feet were planted on the ramp, Bethany did the same to Gamlen, who gave a shout of protest.

Right as Garrett waited his turn, he cried out in pain and clutched his thigh, which made Leandra’s heart jolt. Cullen was peeking out from behind the door, his blaster raised. Garrett whipped around and drew his own blaster, giving some return fire. Cullen ducked back behind the door. Walking backwards, Garrett limped towards the ship, still firing off and not giving Cullen a chance to duck back out. Even Leandra knew he couldn’t keep that up forever, though.

Quickly putting away her lightsaber, Bethany reached both hands out and levitated Garrett onto the edge of the ramp. Leandra ran to him and pulled him further in.

As they retreated into the ship, Cullen came back out and fired on them some more. Bethany drew his lightsaber again to deflect his shots.

Garrett shouted over his shoulder, “Close it, R3!” Leandra heard a droid beeping and turned to see an astromech with green highlights, its spike plugged into a nearby wall port. Since when did her son own a droid? Right on command, the ramp closed up and the four of them went further inside the ship. Leandra hadn’t been in here since the trip to Kirkwall. 

The lot of them dashed, or in Garrett’s case, limped, to the cockpit, where Carver was in the pilot’s seat and Anders sat in the copilot’s chair. “Punch it, Carver!”

Carver immediately lifted back up, above the buildings, and shot up into the sky. “Next stop, the Wounded Coast.”

Anders got up and examined Leandra. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” Leandra shook her head, and the ex-Jedi moved on to do the same to Gamlen, then Garrett. He frowned when he saw the blaster wound on Garrett’s thigh where Cullen had shot him.

Leandra regarded her son for a moment. “Then it’s true. You _are_ rebels.”

Garrett’s shoulders sagged, and he turned towards her. “I’m sorry, Mother, but I figured you would be safer if I never told you the truth. That way if anyone ever came to the door asking about us, you’d be able to deny it without having to lie.”

“Lot of good that did,” Gamlen growled. “That man was going to arrest us just for being related to you.”

“Yes, uncle, I realized that the second I was exposed,” Garrett snapped. His voice softened when he turned back to Leandra, “We were on a mission to free some rebel prisoners, and then we decided to free some wrongfully imprisoned civilians, but Cullen caught me. Luckily, Anders came back and saved me. That’s when we rushed to get you to safety.”

Gamlen turned on Anders, pointing an accusing finger at him. “This is your doing, isn’t it? You filled his head with that Jedi stuff and talked them into fighting this little battle of yours against the Empire.”

“Back off, uncle,” Garrett snarled. “Anders didn’t talk us into this. We _wanted_ to become rebels.” To Leandra, he said, “Since we came to Kirkwall, we’ve seen so much injustice. Resources hoarded for the Empire, civilians harassed and extorted, gangs allowed to run free, tariffs... We couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

Leandra looked into her son’s eyes and realized he was serious. He really was a rebel, and was determined to fight the Empire and get them off of Kirkwall. He was so much like his father, always wanting to do the right thing. He would never be content to sit back and live a normal life while others suffered. Had he been born with the Force, he would have the makings of a Jedi, like his father before him.

She signed. “I understand.”

Anders approached Garrett. “Come on, I’ll fix you up.” Taking her son by the arm, the former Jedi led him out of the cockpit. Leandra and her son shared one more look before the hatch closed behind them.

Bethany took the copilot’s seat, sitting so that she was facing Leandra and Gamlen. “You two might want to take a seat. There’s a lot to fill you in on.”

* * *

“She was disappointed,” Garrett sighed as Anders set him down on his bunk, then got down on his knees to examine the wound. Master Pounce-a-lot leapt up with him, curling up next to his uninjured thigh and purring up a storm. Garrett couldn’t even summon the energy to pet the loth-cat, and it had nothing to do with the pain in his leg.

“A little,” Anders admitted. “But more than that, she was worried.” He laid a hand on Garrett’s thigh and willed the flesh to mend itself. He tried not to think about how nice Anders’ hand felt on his leg, or how the gesture would make his stomach flutter if it was done under more pleasant circumstances.

“It’s my fault,” Garrett hung his head. “I insisted that we go back to save more people. If I hadn’t gotten caught, Cullen never would have found out I’m a rebel and gone after her. Mother’s never going to forgive me for this.”

“Don’t be thinking like that,” Anders finished healing the wound and stood up. Thankfully, Cullen’s shot had connected with the side of Garrett’s leg, rather than the center. Either that man wasn’t a good shot, or he just hadn’t had time to line it up. It was an easy fix for Anders, either way. “Those people you saved owe you their lives. Who knows what the Stormtroopers were going to do to them, no matter how obvious it was that they weren’t connected to the rebels? The only people you should be blaming are Meredith and all who serve her.”

Garrett continued to look at his feet, his hands on his knees. “I suppose. Still, I think Mother was really hoping that we could have some semblance of a normal life, and that hope was just snatched away from her.”

Anders sat down on the bunk, next to his friend. “You’re not really the sort to do normal, though, are you? Not as long as the Empire is around, and tyranny reigns.”

“I guess not. Still, any hope Mother may have of regaining her nobility in the near future might have just been crushed.”

“Perhaps it could still happen, once the Empire is gone.”

“I suppose. Still, she’s going to have to go into hiding for now.”

“Hopefully Orsino puts them somewhere nicer than Gamlen’s shack,” Anders gave his arm a light squeeze. Garrett could tell that he was trying to lighten the mood, and, despite himself, Garrett actually found himself appreciating it. He looked at his friend and smiled, putting his hand over Anders’ and giving it a light squeeze.

“Blame the Empire,” Anders said. “Blame Cullen and Meredith, but never blame yourself for this.” Pounce let out a small meow, before crawling over to sit in Garrett’s lap. He gently petted the loth-cat, while Anders scratched his pet behind the ears.

“For the record,” Anders said. “Justice thinks you did the right thing too, by going back for the civilians. And if an embodiment of justice thinks that, then you know it’s true.”

“You’ve got a point there,” Garrett gave Anders a weak smile. “I’m glad that we did. And, thank you, Anders. You always know just what to say to make me feel better.”

Garrett thought he saw a brief flash of blue dash across Anders’ brown eyes.

“Don’t mention it, my friend.”

* * *

Leandra and Gamlen stepped off the ramp of the _Hawke’s Talon_ , gazing at the shuttle that was to take them across the galaxy to a safe location. Garrett and the others followed right behind them. They’d flown to the Wounded Coast rather than the base because they couldn’t risk either of them knowing the location just in case the Empire tracked them down. Not that Garrett didn’t trust his mother, but the Empire had ways of making people talk.

Standing by the shuttle was Alain. After dropping the rebels back at the base, Isabela and Merrill had flown the _Sparrow’s Wing_ to Darktown to pick up him and Fenris. Alain had been dropped off, then the other three went to meet back up with the others at the Coast. Alain had arrived the next day with the shuttle and his orders to take Leandra and Gamlen someplace where the Empire wouldn’t find them so easily. For their own safety, even Garrett and the others didn’t know where Alain was taking them.

Gamlen gave some half-hearted grumble about having to leave so suddenly and just make a new life for him and his sister. Still, the man had actually thanked Garrett for saving them yesterday, and the younger man figured it was as good as he would ever get from his uncle.

In contrast, Leandra looked up at her son with sad eyes. “This is it, then.”

“I’m afraid so,” Garrett replied, touching his mother on the shoulder. “But, you know why we have to do this.”

“Of course,” She leaned in and the two squeezed each other, as if they never wanted to let go. “I’ll miss you all. I love you all.” She pulled away then. “The next time I see you, you’d better come back heroes. Don’t you dare die on me.” She looked at her other children. “Any of you.”

“We won’t,” Bethany said, and Carver nodded.

Leandra gave the twins hugs, and was reluctant to part with them. To everyone’s surprise, she also hugged Anders. Anders paused, before returning the hug. “Take care of them,” She whispered to him.

“Oh, I intend to.”

After parting, Leandra walked backwards to the shuttle, never wanting to break eye contact with the children she wasn’t going to see again for a very long time. Garrett gave her one last wave goodbye, before she turned and entered the shuttle.

“Well, I suppose this is goodbye,” Gamlen said. He walked over to follow his sister, but before getting on, he looked over his shoulder and said, “Give them hell.”

Once both passengers were on, Alain followed them and the ramp closed. Soon after, the engines started and with a hiss of gas, the shuttle lifted off and shot off into the atmosphere. Everyone watched it until it became just a tiny dot and then vanished from sight. It really hit Garrett that his mother and uncle were gone, flown off to parts unknown, and they couldn’t even visit them, or contact them. This war almost took their family from them. All the more reason to keep fighting, Garrett thought.

A sob caught Garrett’s attention and he saw that Bethany had tears running down her cheeks. Garrett walked over to comfort her, “We’ll see her again, I promise.”

He hoped.


	13. Chapter 13

“What have you to say for yourself?”

The young Duros woman trembled as she looked down the barrel of the E-11 blaster pointed right at her face. She looked around frantically, but the troopers had cornered her down an alleyway with a dead end and there was no place for her to escape. “I only gave a bit of food and medical supplies to my cousin. She was in bad shape when she came to me.”

“You aided and abetted a known rebel,” The lead Stormtrooper growled. “For this, you are a traitor to the Empire.”

The other three Stormtroopers raised their blasters and the girl hugged the wall, shielding her face and whimpering. “Please, no!”

Blasterfire filled the alley and the woman flinched, bracing herself for death. Yet, she felt no pain. She opened her eyes and saw the Stormtroopers turning around. One of their own was on the ground, a fresh blaster wound maring the white armor. Another sound echoed in the alley: a _snap-hiss_ , followed by a low hum. The lead Stormtrooper yelled, “Get them!”

Before they could fire on the interlopers, one of the Stormtroopers collapsed in a flash of green light. The remaining two wasted no time in shooting at the person who had struck down their comrade. But, no sounds of bodies hitting the ground followed, and instead, the shots merely deflected onto the walls. The lead Stormtrooper gave a death rattle as someone fired two shots at him and the remaining trooper was killed by that same flash of green light from before.

The Duros saw her savoirs once all four men were dead, and relief washed through her. It was a blonde human holding a lightsaber, a dark-skinned woman holding twin blasters, and an elven woman holding a gnarled wooden staff which glowed green near the tip. These folks certainly weren’t with the Empire.

The three of them put their weapons away and the man approached the woman slowly. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

She shook her head, “No. Thank the Stars you got here just in time, master Jedi.”

The Jedi nodded, “I would lay low for a while, just in case.”

“Of course. Thank you again master Jedi,” The Duros quickly left the alley. Stories of the brave and kind Jedi had spread through Kirkwall by now, and she wished that she could have met him under better circumstances. For now, she had to find a place to hide, or get off Kirkwall.

* * *

Garrett looked up from his drawing when he saw the shadow pass overhead, accompanied by the sound of a shuttle engine. The _Sparrow’s Wing_ had returned. Garrett smiled and looked at the loth-cat he’d been sketching. “Your master is home.”

Master Pounce-a-lot didn’t need to be told twice. He was already running up the ramp into the _Hawke’s Talon_ before Garrett stood up and followed the cat. The shuttle docked into the back of the ship and Garrett met the others in the cargo hold. The loth-cat ran up to Anders, nuzzling his legs while purring. Anders knelt down and pet the cat while making cooing noises at him. 

“Did you miss me little one?” The cat meowed in response. Merrill and Isabela walked off, giving Hawke friendly smiles as they did so. Garrett overheard Merrill ask Isabela about flying lessons as they departed.

Garrett knelt down and scratched Pounce behind the ears. “So, how did it go?”

“Let’s just say Meredith has one less death squadron going after innocents.”

Garrett didn’t need the Force to hear the bit of sadness in his voice. Something must have been eating at him, if he was feeling that way even while playing with a cat. Said cat rolled over onto his back so Anders could pet his belly.

“Is there anything you want to talk about?”

Anders paused, and looked up at Garrett. “It’s just… it’s been a month, and I just feel like things aren’t getting better. If anything, things are just getting worse. The more we fight, the more Meredith tightens the noose on Kirkwall. We steal midnight shipments of supplies, she enacts a curfew and threatens to arrest anyone breaking it. Citizens decide to lend us aid, and Meredith declares this punishable by death. Not to mention the way the Stormtroopers keep stepping on average citizens and how Meredith isn’t doing a thing to reprimand them, despite her convictions that she’s the only thing keeping Kirkwall safe.”

Garrett knew what he meant. He’d seen Gib at the Hanged Man a week ago, and the Rodian had a fresh bruise on his cheek. Garrett hadn’t needed to be told how he’d gotten it.

“I know it seems frustrating,” Garrett gently stroked Anders’ hand. “But we have to keep fighting. Because nobody else will.”

“I know, and you’re right. Trust me, I’m not about to give up just because it’s hard,” A tiny smile crossed his lips, even as it didn’t reach his eyes. “Besides, Justice would kick my ass if I gave up.”

“You know, I’d be curious to see how that’s possible. Would he possess one of your legs and kick you with it?” Garrett smirked. The quip got another smile from Anders, and this time it seemed genuine. Pounce righted himself and nuzzled his human’s knee, almost like he was comforting the former Jedi too.

Even with his attempts to lighten the mood, Garrett knew exactly how Anders felt. Meredith grew more and more harsh by the day, the more the rebels fought. The non-rebel citizens were terrified of her. Sure, they were secretly rooting for the rebels, and each day, more lined up to join the cause or just lend them aid, but to speak out against Meredith was to put a target on your back. Even so much as painting anti-Empire graffiti on a wall got you pistol whipped by a Stormtrooper.

A few weeks ago, someone from Lowtown had tried to rally the citizens of Hightown into resisting the Empire, but Elthina had stepped in and told everyone to go home. Nothing had been accomplished that day, thanks to that woman, and most of Hightown remained just as apathetic as the Minister. She saw the violence and fear, and she did nothing. She sat on her hands, content upon her ivory throne, and convinced everybody that she was looking out for them and would mediate on their behalf. The governor at least had the excuse that he was just a puppet ruler. Elthina actually had the authority to put her foot down and replace Meredith, yet she let Meredith continue as she did.

The galaxy needed more people like Anders and fewer like Meredith and Elthina.

Garrett stood up, “I think you deserve the afternoon off.” He held out his hand. Anders blinked up at him, before taking the hand and allowing Garrett to pull him to his feet. He then began tugging Anders along.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. Trust me, you’ll like it.”

* * *

Commander Meredith looked out her office window at Kirkwall. Despite her best efforts, the planet was infested with rebel scum. No matter how much she tried, things had only gotten worse. The rebels corrupted everyone they got in contact with, filling people’s heads with lies and offering only chaos. Something had to be done, and it couldn’t wait any longer.

She turned around and faced Cullen and a hologram of Elthina, who was unable to be at the meeting in person.

“I have called you both here for a reason,” She approached her desk, steely eyes fixed on the Captain and the Minister. “As you can see, the situation on Kirkwall has gotten unstable. The rebels have corrupted the people, and Lowtown and Darktown have both become hives of rebel scum. It won’t be long before both cities call for open rebellion and send Kirkwall into total chaos. The infection has also begun to creep into Hightown. Therefore, I believe it’s time to kill the infection before it spreads across the whole planet and into the rest of the Thedas sector.”

“You mean the last resort?” Cullen inquired.

“Yes,” Meredith said. “It is time we called in Operation Annulment.”

“You believe that is the best course of action?” Elthina asked patiently.

“Extreme measures are what’s needed right now,” Cullen replied. “The rebels have left us with no choice. They could have listened to you and laid down their arms, but they’ve insisted on sending Kirkwall into total anarky.”

“We have to remind the galaxy who is in charge,” Meredith said. “If we show mercy, then we appear weak and that won’t be good for the Empire. Besides, it’ll only be a matter of time before the rebels, and those they’ve manipulated, turn on us, including you. If Kirkwall falls to rebels, then the rest of the galaxy will call for blood.”

Elthina regarded Meredith with a calm face, then nodded her head. “If you feel that this is what needs to happen, then so be it. I am sorry that it had to come to this.”

“I knew you would see sense, old friend,” Meredith graced the other woman with a rare smile. Not that Meredith would have called things off if Elthina had told her no.

“Unfortunately, I was only able to secure one Star Destroyer in the event you declared Operation Annulment,” Cullen said regretfully. “Admiral Greagoir has agreed to lend me the _Holy Smite_. My apologies, but it was the best I could do.”

“One should be sufficient,” Meredith assured him. Greagoir was Cullen’s direct superior, and the one who had sent him to Kirkwall in the first place, while the Admiral himself oversaw operations on Ferelden. In his words, he trusted Cullen to oversee things efficiently, knowing how little tolerance the younger man had for insurgents. If things went according to plan, Meredith was going to personally speak with Greagoir about getting Cullen a promotion.

Cullen nodded at Meredith, “As you wish. Now then, the sooner I leave, the sooner I get back with the _Holy Smite_.”

Turning on his heel, Cullen left the office. Elthina piped in then, “Where is that bard? I wished to commend her service to the Empire.”

“She wished to sit in on this meeting, but I sent her away,” Meredith said. “Just as well, as she had to return to Orlais anyway. Now then, I will have a shuttle prepared to take you on board the _Holy Smite_ when Cullen returns tomorrow morning.”

* * *

The Vinmark Mountains were in no short supply of caves. One cave close to the base even served as a quick escape route for the rebels, in case they were ever compromised and had to flee at a moment’s notice. The rebels made sure to send patrols into the cave every once in a while to check if any cave-ins had occurred that would block their exit, or to make sure the Stormtroopers hadn’t somehow found the tunnel. They rarely came into the mountains, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Garrett led Anders into the cave in question. “Okay, I’m surprised so far,” The ex-Jedi said.

“The real surprise is up ahead,” Garrett assured him, pulling out his glow rod to light the way as they descended into the darkness. Anders stuck close to his friend, making sure he could sense him.

They walked for about fifteen minutes, and he figured Garrett was taking them out the other end. To his surprise, Garrett instead turned away from the path and down another tunnel. Anders tensed, but he didn’t sense danger ahead. Even still, he was ready to whip out his lightsaber at a moment’s notice, just in case Garrett led them right into the jaws of some cave monster.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

“Trust me, it’s just up ahead.”

Anders continued to follow Garrett, and it wasn’t long before he saw a faint glow just up ahead. It was light blue, with hints of green. Garrett turned off the glow rod and reached behind him to take Anders’ hand. Anders allowed it, feeling a small flutter in his heart when their hands joined.

“I found it last week when I was on scouting duty,” Garrett said, still leading Anders, and the glow got brighter the closer they got. It was a gentle glow, and wasn’t harsh on the eyes. Anders gazed at his friend’s silhouette, and with the glow, he almost seemed to be an ethereal being, bright and beautiful. Like he was a spirit.

The glow engulfed them as they reached the chamber and Anders’ broke out into an awed smile as Garrett released his hand.

The glow filled the entire chamber, giving it an eerily beautiful aura. Examining the wall revealed that the green glow came from thick moss coatings hugging the rock, while the blue lights were from mushrooms growing in close proximity to the moss. Bioluminescent plants and fungi. It almost reminded Anders of the cave where he’d gotten the kyber crystal that powered his lightsaber.

“You like it?”

Anders looked over at Garrett, who was grinning like a fool. The ex-Jedi nodded. “It’s beautiful.”

“I knew you’d like it. And it’s about to get even better.”

Garrett drew out a handheld music player, turned it on and placed it on a small boulder. The chamber suddenly filled with slow, soulful music, the sort that got played during concerts that required fancy suits to attend. Anders wondered where Garrett was going with this, until the other man approached him and held out his hand.

Anders flushed, “You are so cheesy.” He accepted Garrett’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled into the center of the chamber.

Garrett placed both of Anders’ hands on his shoulders, while his own hands went to the taller man’s waist. Anders felt his heart speed up at the contact and his face heat up again. Usually when Garrett touched him like this, this was when he woke up and realized it was all just a dream.

_**This is no dream, Anders. This is real.** _

Allowing Garrett to take the lead, the two began to sway with the music, letting it flow over them. They kept each other at arms length for now, and even then Anders worried that he would step on Garrett’s toes. Yet Garrett was quite light on his feet and Anders found it easy to follow his lead, so those fears were quickly erased. He could just let himself enjoy this moment. All the while, he kept gazing at the other man, letting his eyes take in the details of his face under the glow of the bioluminescent moss and fungi. Garrett had such lovely eyes, and hair that looked so soft that Anders wanted to run his hands through it. Under the natural glow, Garrett looked breathtaking, his face awash with blue and green.

"You know what this glow reminds me of?" Garrett asked. Anders tilted his head in a silent question. "Justice."

“I think Justice is slightly brighter than the mushrooms,”

“I know,” Garrett smirked. “Justice is prettier too.”

Anders felt Justice’s elation at that compliment. Since Justice had to hide all the time, nobody ever acknowledged his existence, and it gave the spirit no small amount of satisfaction to hear Garrett not just acknowledge him but call him pretty.

Garrett was so good to the both of them. He was kind, understanding, and just. He threw himself into the cause of fighting the empire with Anders, not just for their sake, but because it was the right thing to do. He saw the way the Empire treated everybody and knew that something had to be done, and thus he chose to fight alongside them.

The more time they spent around the man, the more their feelings blossomed. Not just Anders’ feelings, but _their_ feelings. Him and Justice both.

It really, truly hit Anders that he wasn’t the only one who’d been sitting on feelings towards their fellow rebel. Anders wasn’t sure what to make of that. Had a spirit ever felt this way about a mortal? Perhaps there was a first time for everything. All he knew was that Justice wasn’t just feeling an echo of Anders’ own feelings. What the spirit felt towards Hawke were his own.

“Justice appreciates the compliment,” He said.

“Good. He deserves to feel appreciated.”

The song switched to another slow number. Anders found himself drawing closer to Garrett. Any closer, and they could wrap their arms around one another.

“When we win this war, I’m taking you back to Ferelden,” Garrett promised. “I’ll show you my old home town.”

“I’d like that,” It had been a while since he’d been to his home planet. He and Karl had gone back there shortly after leaving the Jedi, but when the Empire moved in, they found themselves having to flee. Anders wondered if there was another group of rebels working to liberate Ferelden just as Dragon Squadron was doing with Kirkwall. Orsino had said there were other rebel cells out there.

“You know what I miss most about Ferelden?” Anders said, swaying with the music some more, never taking his eyes off of Garrett. “Ferelden toffee. The stuff was to die for. Also, Amaranthine. I visited that region once, and it was quite lovely. I’d love to visit the art galleries there again.”

“Bit of an art lover, hm?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a connoisseur or anything, or even a critic, I just like looking at pretty pictures,” Not to mention that sometimes art could touch something within you and make you feel things, be it deep seated emotions or just awe at a lovely piece of artwork. “ I particularly liked the works of Gavril Vesin. He did such interesting things with clay. I’ve also seen some of the stuff on your datapad. I quite like it.”

Now Garrett was the one turning red. “You really think so?”

“Of course. You’re very talented, Garrett.”

“I have thought about investing more time in my hobby once this war’s over, assuming that we win.”

“You absolutely should.”

The two of them gazed into each others’ eyes some more, just letting themselves enjoy being so close to one another. Anders wanted to give this man the entire universe, and create a galaxy that was worth saving. Even if that took decades and Anders didn’t live long enough to see it.

Garrett closed his eyes and began to lean his head up. Anders closed his eyes too and leaned down-

A sudden beep made them freeze and look down at Garrett’s belt. Anders internally grumbled as they broke apart and his friend drew his commlink.

“Starling 1 and 2 here.”

_“Garrett, Anders, get your asses back to camp,”_ Carver replied, his voice tense. _“Orsino’s getting a message from Fulcrum.”_

* * *

It didn’t take them very long to get back to camp. By the time they got there, the rebels were all gathered around in the center of camp, with Orsino standing before everybody. He looked grim. Anders had a bad feeling that Fulcrum hadn’t delivered good news.

Once Anders and Hawke joined the rest of their team near the front, Orsino nodded at them to acknowledge their presence, before turning to address everybody. Whatever was going on, it had to be important if he was willing to wait for the two of them. The elf’s voice was dour and the lines of his face more prominent.

“We just got a message from Fulcrum, and I’m afraid the situation just got much more dire. It seems that the Commander has decided that Lowtown and Darktown are now filled to the brim with rebel activity, and thus she’s deemed both cities unsavable. She also believes that rebel activity has begun to creep into Hightown, and it won’t be long before it’s the same as the other two cities. So she’s decided to go with what she’s calling a last resort, Operation Annulment.”

Anders’ stomach began to twist. That name sounded so _final_. He dreaded to hear what Meredith’s idea of a last resort was. Justice was practically tying himself in knots with anticipation.

Orsino continued, his voice heavy, “Meredith is planning a total orbital bombardment of Lowtown. After that, she’s going to do the same to Hightown, and then she and her Stormtroopers are going to personally go down into Darktown and exterminate everybody. It’s a total culling of Kirkwall’s three major districts.”

Anders felt his throat close up, as if that Inquisitor had come back and was now using a Force choke on him. Orsino had to be lying. But he and Justice both knew that he was telling the truth. Meredith was indeed going to go through with this monstrous plan. She had to have been planning it for a while, this last resort of hers, and had just been waiting for an excuse to use it.

“Surely Minister Elthina won’t agree to this,” Bethany asked, desperation in her voice.

“Fulcrum says that Elthina was there when Meredith announced her plan,” Orsino replied, looking at her with sad eyes. “She gave only the most minor of protests. She’s already been taken to the Gallows to await a shuttle that will take her and Meredith to safety on board the Star Destroyer, the _Holy Smite_ , and Fulcrum said that she went without protest.”

So that was it, then. Meredith was going to fire on innocent civilians just to get to the rebels, and Elthina was going to just sit back and let it happen. She would shake her head, talk about what a shame it was that such measures needed to be taken, and claim that there was nothing she could have done to stop it. The Empire would see this and agree with both Elthina and Meredith. Perhaps Meredith would even get a promotion for her hand in the mass destruction, since she would send the right message to the rest of the galaxy.

Anders wanted to run, to cry to the heavens and beg the Force for the power to do something. Justice echoed his pain.

He felt a hand take his own and squeeze it. Anders looked up and saw that it was Garrett. That worry and dread was reflected in the other man’s face, like they were both looking into a mirror. Anders sensed that he was feeling just as helpless.

“What are we going to do?” Merrill’s voice was quivering.

“I’m afraid the only thing we can do is evacuate Lowtown and then try to protect Darktown as best we can. Fulcrum said that Meredith has Stormtroopers guarding the exits out of town. We just need to get past them, and from there try to get as may people into the tunnels as we can.”

“How much do you want to bet that Meredith didn’t tell those troopers running guard duty what she’s planning?” Isabela said, her voice darkly humorous.

“Those tunnels won’t hold everybody in Lowtown,” Fenris said.

“That’s why we’re also going to try and get people past the barricades and beyond city limits,” Orsino said. “Look, we don’t have time to sit here and debate. Cullen is going to be back by dawn, and we need to act immediately if we want to limit the casualties.” He turned to a comm officer, “Get in touch with all field agents and tell them to start getting people to safety. We’ll join them soon.”

“I’ll get in touch with Varric,” Garrett volunteered. “He might be able to help too.”

Orsino nodded in agreement, then handed out orders. Some of the rebel pilots were to remain at the base, to hold down the fort and so they could call for backup. Everyone else was to board a ship and get to Lowtown. They only had a few hours until dawn.

As Anders boarded the _Hawke’s Talon_ that feeling of helplessness wasn’t subsiding. There was no way they would be able to get everyone out of Lowtown in time, and then to have to rush to Darktown to defend it from Meredith’s forces, it was too much. The Stormtroopers greatly outnumbered them, even taking into account the ones Meredith was going to sacrifice in her bombardment.

Plus, the bombardment itself would be a show to the rest of the Thedas sector what would happen if the various worlds decided to fight the empire. They would be too scared to fight back.

Something more had to be done. Even if that something cost Anders his life.


	14. Chapter 14

“Don’t crowd, there’s room for all of you.”

Anders ushred the last family on this block onto the _Hawke’s Talon_ , the children looking back at him as the ramp closed, clutching their parents and siblings. The ship rose up before vanishing over the top of the buildings. Garrett kept watching it until it was out of sight. Perhaps he should have been the one flying the ship and getting the civilians to safety, but his desire to remain at Anders’ side was stronger. Besides, he trusted Carver and R3 with his ship.

Taking out his commlink, Garrett asked for updates from the others.

Bethany said, _”Starling 3 here. Starling 5 and I just got another group into the tunnels, but it’s getting pretty packed down there.”_

Isabela spoke next, _“Starling 7 and I managed to take down a pair of Stormtroopers guarding the road to the woods, and we’ve got a big group with us right now.”_

“I know it seems like a lot, everyone,” Garrett said. “But we have to keep going.”

_“Hawke, it’s almost sunrise and that Star Destroyer is going to be here soon,”_ Fenris pointed out. _“It may be wise to start prioritizing who we get out, especially since we’ll have to rush to Darktown once we’re done here. We cannot save everyone in time.”_

“Just keep going, and remain in touch, everyone. Starling 1 out.”

Garrett put his commlink away and glanced at Anders. The ex-Jedi was looking at the sky nervously, before turning back to his friend. His face was the very picture of worry.

The _Hawke’s Talon_ could hold quite a lot of people, and they’d been able to ferry large groups out of the city. There were also three other rebel shuttles besides the _Talon_ that had been busy getting groups of people to safety, including the ship they’d stolen from the slavers. That last ship could hold at least two hundred at a time, and had been a huge asset in the evacuation. Orsino, meanwhile, had taken a small platoon out to Darktown to deliver the news and try to rally some volunteers to help fight.

They’d been at it for hours, and while they’d gotten a majority of people to safety (including the entire elven alienage), there was no denying that there were still people remaining within Lowtown. And they were running out of time. But what could they do? What if Fenris was right and they had to get more choosy about who they evacuated? Garrett had a mental image of parents begging the rebels to save their spouses or children while they stayed behind to die.

Garrett had never hated Meredith, Cullen, and Elthina more than in this very moment.

He gently grasped Anders’ shoulder. “Come on, let’s see how Varric is doing.”

It didn’t take long for them to reach the Hanged Man. Right as Garrett’s hand touched the door, a distinct and unmistakable sound filled the air. The two of them looked up as a trio of TIE fighters flew low over the city, their engines screaming.

“Garrett,” Anders said solemnly. “You know that your friendship has meant the world to me, right?”

Garrett looked at Anders for a couple of seconds, then replied, “It’s meant a lot to me too. You’re probably the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“But, you also understand that some things have to come first,” Anders looked back at the direction the TIEs had gone. “Like the rebellion, and saving innocents.”

“Of course, Anders.” Because as much as Garrett cared for Anders, he knew that the fight for freedom had to be the priority. Had he given the impression that he thought otherwise? Garrett searched his thoughts to try and remember if he’d never unintentionally implied that his feelings for the ex-Jedi had to become more important than the lives and freedom of everyone in the galaxy. He couldn’t think of a single instance.

“Well, what if there was a way to save _everyone_ on Kirkwall?” Anders looked back at Garrett sadly. “But it would require someone making the ultimate sacrifice?”

Garrett was taken aback. “Don’t say that, Anders! Nobody is going to die today.”

“But if we took out that Star Destroyer…”

“Unless you pull a Super Star Destroyer out of your ass, I really don’t see that happening.”

“Surely there’s a way to destroy one, though.”

“I mean,” Garrett shrugged. “Maybe if you took out the generator. Look, we can’t get into hypotheticals right now, Anders. Now come on, let’s go check on Varric.”

“You go. I’ll guard the door.”

“Alright. Be careful.”

Garrett barged into the Hanged Man and found it empty. He ran through the cantina, calling for Varric. No reply. He ran down the back hallway and towards Varric’s suite, calling for the dwarf once more.

This time he got a reply, “Back here, Hawke!” Garrett ran into Varric’s room and found the dwarf loading up on bolts for his crossbow. “I managed to get the word out, like you asked. Everybody who was in here has already gone into the secret tunnel below the cantina.”

Why was Garrett not surprised that the Hanged Man had a secret exit?

“I’m gonna miss this place,” Varric sighed, touching the wall. “Lotta good memories were made here.”

“I know, Varric,” Garrett placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But we have to leave.”

The two of them ran back out into the street. To Garrett’s surprise, Anders was gone.

Garrett called for him desperately, but the ex-Jedi didn’t answer. Fear spiked through him. Had Anders been captured? It wasn’t like him to turn tail and run, or abandon his post. He wasn’t a coward, and he wouldn’t just leave his best friend to fend for himself. Justice would also never allow him to do such a thing.

“Uh, Hawke,” Varric pointed up, and Garrett followed his line of sight. He froze.

There, above Lowtown, was a Star Destroyer.

They had to leave now. Where was Anders? Garrett wasn’t going to leave without him.

Another wave of TIEs flew over them, and Garrett’s stomach twisted itself into a knot as a horrid realization hit him. Anders’ words echoed through his mind. He knew exactly where Anders had gone and what he intended to do.

“Hawke?” Varric patted the human’s arm. “You see that big dagger in the sky? That means we gotta leave yesterday.”

Garrett looked down at Varric. “You go. There’s something I have to do first.” Varric gave his friend a questioning look. “I’m getting myself on board that Star Destroyer.”

“Of all the crazy things you’ve done, Hawke, this might just be the craziest. How exactly are you planning on doing that?”

Garrett drew a blank. How _was_ he going to get on that ship?

More TIEs flew over them, only these ones were heading up, in the direction of the Star Destroyer. An idea came into his mind then, which he relayed to Varric.

“You really think you can pull that off?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

Varric regarded his friend. “You really care about him, don’t you?”

“More than anything.”

“Then I guess there’s no way I can talk you out of this,” Varric’s shoulders slumped. “Go, save your friend.” He turned to go back into the Hanged Man.

“Where are you going?”

“To call in some favors. You’re gonna need ‘em.”

* * *

Luckily for Anders, not all of the Stormtroopers Meredith intended to spare had left the planet yet.

The easy part was luring a Stormtrooper away, knocking him out and stealing his armor. With his disguise, all he had to do was board the transport with the others in white armor and keep his mouth closed. The hard part was going to be what he intended to do once he got on board that Star Destroyer.

Anders knew enough about ships to know that something as big as a Star Destroyer ran on a lot of power. It would only be a matter of overloading that power and causing it to go out of control, thus taking out the entire ship. The only problem was that once the ship began to go up, there would be a limited amount of time to escape. This would be Anders’ last stand. He had discussed it with Justice back on the _Talon_ , and both agreed this was the best course of action.

Both of them were fully prepared to give their lives for the rebellion. Justice had merged with him for a reason. Perhaps this was what the Force was ultimately guiding him towards.

_It’s been an honor knowing you, Justice. I’m glad you saved my life._

_**As am I. I love you, Anders.** _

_I love you too._

Thoughts turned to Garrett. He thought there would be more time. He thought that once the rebellion was over, they could have a future together. But time had just run out. There was no future for them. Garrett would move on, just as Anders had moved on from Karl. He deserved someone who could give him the future that he deserved. He would see this rebellion through to the end, and crush the Empire.

Anders sat in silence during the journey. He didn’t hear any turbolasers going off, but he knew that it was just a matter of time before Meredith gave the order.

Before Anders knew it, the transport flew into the Star Destroyer’s docking bay and touched down. Everybody, including Anders, stood and filed out. Anders kept in line, and it wasn’t until they were out of the docking back and into a hallway that he broke away from the group.

Now he just had to get to the generator room. Except he’d never been on a Star Destroyer before and had no idea which direction it was in. He started walking down the hallway, holding himself like he belonged there. So far, it seemed to be working, and he was being treated as just another Stormtrooper.

A man with untrimmed mutton chops in an Imperial uniform was headed his way. Anders approached him and asked, “I’m sorry, but I’m sort of new here. I was assigned to guard the generator room. Do you know which way it is?”

“Go straight ahead and take a left, there should be a sign telling you that you’re in the right place,” The man said dismissively, barely even glancing at Anders.

“Appreciate it,” Anders nodded and continued on his way.

* * *

Garrett peeked out from around the building he was using for cover. Having gone towards the direction the TIEs were coming from, Garrett found a few ships landed just outside the TIE factory. In a way, it made sense that the factory wouldn’t be far from the TIE garrison. The screech overhead let him know that another wave had gone up towards the Star Destroyer.

He’d already told the others of his plan. Fenris had tried to talk him out of it, but Garrett had insisted that it was something he had to do. The others had expressed worry and Bethany had begged her brother to come back alive. Whether they’d figured out why he insisted on doing this, he couldn’t say. Regardless, he would explain it to them once he got Anders and came back safely.

Crouching low, he crept towards a trio of TIE pilots who stood a few meters away from four TIE fighters. The pilots spoke casually to one another, and Garrett caught their conversation.

“How many other squadrons are left?”

“I think it’s just us and a few who are back at the Gallows. Once Tiv gets back, we’re all going up and that should be that.”

Garrett cursed silently. He didn’t have time to run all the way to the Gallows to steal a TIE, so it had to be one of these four. He thought of jumping the three men and stealing their uniforms, but that would just further delay him. Every second counted during this mission.

The pilots continued their conversation, not once spotting Garrett. “You got your orders, right?”

“Yeah, once the _Holy Smite_ does its thing, then all the TIEs fly in for a final sweep to pick off any stragglers.”

“That’ll show these rebels what for,” The three pilots laughed.

Garrett selected the TIE furthest away from the trio. He easily slipped within and glanced at the controls. He’s never been inside a TIE fighter before, but the control scheme didn’t look complicated. Memories of learning to fly in his father’s old Delta 7 went through his mind. His father would sit Garrett in his lap at first, while he flew the ship and walked Garrett through the controls and how to steer, and then he would let Garrett steer them. It hadn’t taken very long for Malcolm to trust Garrett with flying the ship solo once he was big enough. His father had told him that most ships had similar control schemes, and once he knew how to fly one model, he could fly most ships. He could do this, a TIE was just like any other starfighter.

Garrett gave the controls a quick once-over before flipping some switches and turning the ship on. Gripping the steering joysticks, he activated the turbolift and got the ship off the ground. The three pilots turned to look at him, right as a fourth joined up with them, but Garrett paid them no mind. He got the TIE over the tops of the buildings and shot up towards the Star Destroyer.

“Hold on, Anders. Please.”

* * *

Meredith looked down at Kirkwall from the bridge of the _Holy Smite_. At her side was Captain Cullen, and standing near the back was Minister Elthina, who made sure she wasn’t in Meredith’s way, the picture of serenity. Meredith hadn’t even had to tell her to do anything. The old woman had simply migrated back there, and told Meredith to carry on. Lowtown looked so small from this high up, the people nothing more than ants. A part of Meredith was sad that it had to come to this. But Kirkwall had become such a wretched hive that it was unsavable at this point. The people had thrown their lot in with the rebels and so they had accepted their fate.

The rebels would have no warning of what was to come. No doubt they had seen the _Holy Smite_ and were already scrambling to find refuge. But there would be none. Lowtown would be nothing but rubble, and soon, Hightown and Darktown would share its fate. She would accept no surrender if the rebels offered it to her.

Behind them, the door slid open. Meredith kept her eyes forward as Cullen greeted the newcomer.

“Welcome on board, Captain Karras.”

“Thank you for inviting me to watch the show, Cullen.”

Cullen had felt that having another Officer on board would help things run smoothly, and Karras had proven himself loyal and efficient, despite his blunder with the replacement workers. They never did get the Bone Pit running again, but it mattered not. They would just put in a request for some Wookies, which was what they should have done in the first place.

“Commander, the last of the TIE fighters are coming in,” One of the radar techs said.

“Excellent,” Meredith said. She found it quite pleasing that everybody on the bridge knew that she gave the orders, after Cullen had told everyone to listen to her. An icy smile crossed her lips. “Prepare for a full orbital bombardment of Lowtown, at my command.”

The bridge crew obeyed, readying the turbolasers and aiming them down below.

“Fire!”

Green flashes lit up the sky as lasers rained down over Lowtown, striking the roads and buildings, sending debris onto the streets. Down below, she could see a few people rush to find cover. Meredith was confident that once a few hours went by, the city would be rubble and any rebels would be eliminated. Hightown and Darktown would immediately follow and Meredith would have wiped out the rebel scum from Kirkwall.

“Those greens we got down in the generator room don’t know what they’re missing,” Karras said with smug glee.

“What are you talking about?” Cullen asked.

“Oh, some new Stormtrooper asked me where the generator room was. He said he had guard duty there.”

“I don’t recall the Admiral telling me he had some new recruits assigned to this ship. In fact, he wasn’t supposed to take on any new recruits for another month.”

Meredith turned away from the viewport, suspicion beginning to gnaw at her. There was no chance that a rebel had slipped by her. There just couldn’t be.

But if they had and they were in the generator room now…

“Keep firing,” Meredith ordered. “I will go investigate this new recruit.” Turning on her heel, Meredith left the bridge. She needed to change into her special armor, just in case.

* * *

Garrett’s heart skipped a beat the moment he saw green lasers stream down from the Star Destroyer and onto Lowtown. Whatever he was going to do, he had to do it fast, and get himself and Anders out.

He pulled the TIE into the hanger and sat for a moment, contemplating his next move, even as he told himself that the longer he dallied, the less time he had to save Anders and hopefully stop the bombardment.

Popping open the hatch, Garrett slipped out of the TIE and hid behind a wing panel. The hanger was crawling with pilots and Stormtroopers, but it also contained boxes and crates. He could use those for cover. Making sure the coast was clear, Garrett crouched down and crept towards a nearby box, hiding behind it. He heard footsteps and made himself as small as possible, holding his breath. 

Once the footsteps passed, he silently let himself breathe again and proceeded on his way, sneaking out from behind the box and hiding behind a large storage crate. Remaining crouched, he went from cover-to-cover, always making sure the coast was clear before doing so, until the hallway to the rest of the ship was so close he could taste it.

The only problem was that there was nothing to hide behind anymore. There were no boxes or crates close to the hallway entrance. And he didn’t have time to wait until the coast was completely clear. Getting out his pistol, Garrett counted to three and ducked out from behind the crate, still remaining crouched.

He actually made it past the hanger door when someone shouted. “Hey you!”

Bolting upright, Garrett shot at the Stormtrooper, who ducked behind the corner, and bolted. Now he was faced with two problems: he had to find out where Anders was and it wouldn’t be long before the whole ship knew he was on board.

Ducking behind a corner, his thoughts raced. He knew Anders, so he could figure out where he’d gone. Anders wanted to take out the Star Destroyer, he’d said, even if doing so cost him his life. Garrett had told him the best way to do so would be to make the generators go critical.

Now he knew exactly where to go. He just had to figure out how to get there.

Garrett ran back out, shooting at a pair of Stormtroopers that spotted him. He managed to hit one, but he ignored the other as he turned the corner. The generator room would be close to the center of the ship.

* * *

Cullen couldn’t keep his eyes off the scene of destruction, watching as the buildings went down. The _Holy Smite_ was starting with the merchant section, since a fair amount of business owners had been convicted of having ties to the rebels or lending them aid. It was early enough that most of those merchants would be at their stands and shops right now, and weren’t expecting this. It was an ugly job, he admitted, but it had to be done. Kirkwall was unsavable. Any surviving rebels would have nowhere to hide once things were over. Still, he couldn’t help but notice that the streets weren’t as crowded as he thought they would be. Even assuming everyone had run for cover, Lowtown was oddly deserted.

His commlink beeped and he answered it.

_“Sir, we think a rebel snuck on board the ship in a TIE fighter. One of our pilots just contacted us to tell us that someone stole his ship.”_

Another rebel? Cullen bit back a curse. They were not having good luck today.

“Can you describe them?” He had a sneaking suspicion that there was only one rebel who would be foolish enough to pull that off.

_“He looked young, maybe mid-twenties, with dark hair, a beard and I think I saw something on his neck.”_

Cullen’s eyes narrowed. “Like a tattoo?”

_“Maybe. I didn’t get a good look at it.”_

Hawke. It had to be him.

“Did you see where he went?”

_“I think he’s going towards the center of the ship.”_

Toward the generator room to assist his fellow rebel, no doubt. What sort of fool was Hawke? He had to know that there was no escape, and his efforts would be futile.

Signing off, Cullen turned to Karras. “We have trouble. I’m going to take care of it, and I leave you in command.”

Karras grinned. “It’ll be my pleasure.” He went back to watching the bombardment, like a kid watching a colorful holonet show. Elthina, meanwhile, continued to watch with that same stony look, not shedding one tear.

Cullen left the bridge. Meredith would take care of the imposter in the generator room, but Cullen would ensure that Hawke never reached them. The man had chosen the wrong side, but perhaps Cullen could still get through to him.

* * *

The generator room was vast. Taking off his helmet and armor, Anders gazed at what he had to work with as he walked along the narrow, elevated path. The path led to a console in the center of the room, and more paths branched off it. There were more elevated paths above and below him, and huge columns that likely held the room together as well as channeled power. He crouched and looked below, spotting exposed mechanical bits. He just had to cause enough damage to create one or two explosions, and the rest would go out in a chain reaction.

So this was it. He would destroy this room, the ship and he’d go down with it.

Reaching into his belt pouch, he pulled out a thermal detonator.

“Justice, I…”

_**I know. It’s been an honor to call you my friend.** _

“Garrett… I’m sorry.”

His thumb hovered over the activation switch-

His danger sense suddenly went off and he quickly put the detonator back in its pouch and withdrew his lightsaber, opening it with a _snap-hiss_. He whipped around and held his lightsaber defensively, just in time to block a downward blow from a sword.

The person holding the blade was a Stormtrooper. Beneath the helmet, a woman’s voice hissed, “I knew that only a Jedi could manipulate his way in here.” Meredith.

“Ex-Jedi!” Anders pushed her off him and leapt backwards. Meredith’s blade was still intact.

She held the weapon before her. “Mandalorian steel.” No doubt stolen from a clan somewhere. “With a little something added in, just for Jedi like yourself.” She ran a finger along the blade and the edges began to glow blue, just like Fenris’ tattoos. “I’ve had pure lyrium infused into the blade, as well as my armor. It seems that it gives one an edge over Force users.”

“It’ll also kill you, you fool! It’s poison!”

“I will not listen to your Jedi lies! I will save Kirkwall from you rebels and the galaxy will thank me for it!”

Meredith charged.

* * *

Garrett looked up at the sign attached to the wall, just as indicated by a Stormtrooper he’d grabbed a few minutes ago. The sign told him that the generator room was just around the corner. The emergency alarm wasn’t going off, which Garrett took as a sign that he wasn’t too late. He just had to keep hoping that Anders wouldn’t go through with anything before he got there.

“Hold it right there!”

_Kriff!_ Garrett turned around to face the man who had shouted at him.

Cullen stood there, pointing his blaster at Garrett.

“Let me pass, Cullen,” Garrett demanded.

Cullen shook his head, slowly approaching Garrett while keeping his blaster raised. Garrett wondered if he could draw his own pistol before Cullen could have the chance to shoot him. The man had already shown that he was a good shot, and this time there was nothing to distort his concentration. Even after Anders healed the wound without so much as a scar, Garrett hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to get shot.

“No,” Cullen stopped when he was just a meter away from the rebel. “How could you, Hawke? You could have had a great future within the Empire. We would have saved the galaxy together, kept peace and order, and the Empire would have repaid you. Your family’s honor would be restored, and all debts would be called off.”

Garrett scowled. Cullen couldn’t be serious. “By upholding tyranny? I don’t think so.”

“The Empire keeps people safe. You would see that if you hadn’t bought those rebel lies.”

“Safety at the cost of freedom, you mean. And if you’re an alien, then forget about it.”

“It’s not too late for you, Hawke. You can still do the right thing,” Cullen said. He reached for his belt with his free hand and pulled out a pair of cuffs. “I’d rather see you arrested instead of killed. I might even be able to get your crimes forgiven once I speak with Meredith.”

_His_ crimes. In other words, Garrett would only get arrested, possibly with life in prison, but the rest of his rebel allies would still be slaughtered.

Garrett didn’t have time for this. He had to get Cullen out of the way and fast. He needed to get to Anders. An idea popped into his head.

“Alright, Cullen, you win.” He held his hands in front of him. “I surrender.”

“I knew you would see sense,” Cullen looked relieved. He put his pistol away and approached Garrett with the cuffs.

The second the Imperial was close enough, Garrett’s hand shot forward like a snake and yanked the pistol out of Cullen’s holster. Cullen scowled and the two began grappling for the pistol, the cuffs clattering on the floor as the Imperial dropped them. Right as Cullen was about to force the pistol from the other man’s grip, Garrett let go, causing Cullen to stumble backwards. Garrett used the opportunity to tackle Cullen to the floor. They landed in a heap, and the pistol skidded across the floor, away from them.

The two began to grapple, exchanging punches. Cullen’s fist connected with Garrett’s arm, while Garrett punched Cullen’s cheek. The Imperial managed to gain the upper hand and rolled Garrett onto his back, not even stopping to breathe before aiming several punches at his face. Garrett managed to block several blows, including one that was aimed at his nose, but Cullen still managed to bruise Garrett’s cheek and eyelid, and split his lip.

“Had enough, rebel?”

“I haven’t even started.”

As Cullen prepared to punch him again, Garrett pulled out a small knife from a hidden pocket in his gauntlet. He slashed at Cullen, slicing the Imperial on the lip. Cullen yelled out in pain, clutching his bleeding face. Seizing his opportunity, Garrett’s knee jerked up and connected between Cullen’s legs. The Imperial hissed, his hands leaving his face to tend to an even worse pain.

Garrett pushed the Imperial off him and scrambled to his feet. There was no time to gloat. He rushed off towards the generator room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even in an AU, I love the headcanon that Hawke is the one who scarred Cullen.


	15. Chapter 15

Meredith’s sword met Anders’ lightsaber, steel clashing with energy. It wasn’t like fighting an Inquisitor, since Meredith didn’t have the Force and her form wasn’t that of a lightsaber duelist. That didn’t make her any less dangerous, however. She was a very aggressive fighter, forcing Anders to stay on the defense, blocking and parrying. All the while, he had to watch his footing to make sure he didn’t fall off the narrow path. What kind of fools designed this room and didn’t put in guard rails?

She wasn’t bluffing about the lyrium either.

Seeing an opening in his defenses, the sword sliced at Anders’ face. It came within a hair’s breadth of his cheek, only missing because of Anders’ Jedi reflexes. But even at that proximity, Anders felt a burning sensation from that blade, like a piece of burning shrapnel had just flown past his face. He felt a wave of fear from Justice.

_**Do not let that blade touch us!** _

Anders didn’t get a chance to reply or reassure Justice, before Meredith came at him again, swinging her sword in a sideways arc. This time he took the offensive, parrying her sword and swinging his own blade towards her leg. With his superior reflexes, this fight wouldn’t last much longer.

To his shock, Meredith pivoted out of the way faster than a non-Force sensitive should have been able to. She used his confusion to her advantage, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying a few feet away, where he slid across the floor on his back.

It was the lyrium, it had to be. He felt Justice agree with him.

Anders leapt back onto his feet just in time to block a downward swing from Meredith. She held him in place, pressing down hard. The edges of the sword glowed, and even her armor began to show blue lines where the lyrium had been added. Anders felt himself go to his knees as her strength seemed to increase. He called upon all his Jedi training to match her, even as he began to sweat with the strain.

“I will rid Kirkwall of your evil, Jedi,” Meredith hissed. “Your kind are a disease upon this galaxy, and I am the one who will cleanse it.”

“Is that why you called an Inquisitor to do your dirty work?”

Meredith snarled and pressed down harder.

Suddenly, she screamed and withdrew from Anders to turn around. Anders quickly stood and backed away, noticing a fresh burn mark on her white armor, on the back of her shoulder. He looked past Meredith.

There stood Garrett, blaster in hand.

“Get away from him, Hutt-spawn!” Garrett snarled.

“Garrett, her sword and armor!” Anders called. “They’ve got lyrium in them!”

“What?” Garrett turned back to Meredith. “Do you have a death wish?”

Meredith’s hand went to her blaster and Anders called upon all his Jedi strength and agility. He leapt over Meredith right as she drew her weapon, landing in front of her and slashing his blade across her face, lightning-quick.

Unfortunately, he’d only managed to get her with the tip of his lightsaber, and it had only damaged her helmet, exposing part of her face. Icy blue eyes stared out with pure hatred.

Anders backed away, and Garrett went forward, until they were side-by-side. Meredith tore off her helmet and threw it aside. Anders was pretty sure that she was trying to make their heads explode with the look she was giving them. But Anders was more interested in how pale she looked, and the dark veins snaking up her neck and into her face. All the while, her weapon and armor continued to glow with blue lines.

“By all that is holy,” Meredith hissed. “Give me the power to defeat this evil!”

Anders and Garrett raised their weapons, but rather than charge at them, Meredith leapt straight into the air, almost twenty feet, a streak of white and blue. Before either of them could process what was happening, she came back down. 

The rebels scrambled to get out of the way right as she landed between them, the impact sending them flying and denting the metal walkway. The wind was knocked out of Anders as he landed. Another couple of inches and he would have fallen right off the platform. He forced himself to prop himself up on his elbow and look for Garrett.

To his horror, Meredith was approaching Garrett, sword held high. The other man had also been winded and was feebly trying to crawl away. He wasn’t holding his gun. It had been knocked out of his hand and fell off the platform.

Anders felt a shortness of breath. He was going to lose Garrett, just like Karl.

_**No, we won’t let her!** _

_No we won’t._

Anders felt the surge of power that always came when he allowed Justice to come to the front. Warm energy filled every inch of him, and all pain was vanquished. Justice brought them to a kneeling position and stretched his hand out towards Meredith, right as she got into position to strike the killing blow to Garrett. The Stormtrooper froze in place, and she made a confused sound. Using the Force, they threw the Stormtrooper to the left, where she fell off the platform with a scream.

They ran towards Garrett and helped him up. The other man looked up at them gratefully.

“And to think, I came here to save _you_.”

“It’s not over yet,” Justice replied. “Kirkwall is dying.”

“Did you have a plan?”

“We did, yes,” Reaching into his pockets, Justice drew both thermal detonators and made them float around his head like a pair of small moons. The bombs then floated outwards, in opposite directions, before coming to a stop in midair.

Using the Force, Justice primed both thermal detonators and let them fall.

A couple of seconds later, the room erupted with a pair of explosions. Two explosions became four. The platforms shook and Garrett held onto Justice to keep his balance. Within seconds, the entire chamber became like an inferno, and many more explosions blossomed out of the current ones.

“Let’s get out of here!” Garrett shouted. They turned to run.

A blue and white blur shot up from below and landed in front of them with a groan of metal, making them stop in their tracks.

“This isn’t over, rebel scum!”

By now, Meredith’s face was white as salt, making the veins stand out even more, and her eyes were turning red from burst blood vessels. Her sword and armor never lost the blue glow, looking like a twisted version of Fenris.

“Stars, what does it take to get her to stay down!?”

Justice scowled at the Stormtrooper, stepping forward and putting himself between her and Garrett. “This ends today. You will never hurt anyone ever again!”

With a snarl, Meredith held her sword high and charged at Justice, ignoring the chaos and explosions.

Justice reached out with the Force towards the nearest tower and pulled with all his strength, while Meredith never slowed down. With a loud metallic screech like a girder being bent in half, Justice tore a piece of the tower off, about the size of an A-Wing. It shot out and slammed into Meredith, sending both flying and tearing part of the platform off. The chunk of metal, along with Meredith, slammed into the opposite tower. 

Justice let go and the metal chunk fell, revealing a smear of blood and gore.

“Holy shit!” Garrett looked at Justice with awe.

The spirit lifted Garrett up, bridal style, and easily leapt over the newly-made gap in the platform. Not a moment too soon either, as the second they’d been standing on broke away and fell into the inferno.

Putting Garrett back down, the glow faded as Anders was given control back. “Let’s high tail it!”

* * *

Cullen limped back in the direction of the bridge when the alarm went off. That sound meant that the entire ship had to evacuate. So the rebels had succeeded. The Kirkwall operation was lost.

He changed directions, towards the escape pods. Hopefully Meredith, Elthina and the others would get there in time. Kirkwall would need them in the coming days.

* * *

“Captain, there’s something wrong in the generator room! It’s going critical! Our weapons systems are malfunctioning!”

“Never mind that!” Karras shouted over the alarm. “Keep firing with our remaining weapons and don’t you dare stop! The elven alienage is next.” Elthina was looking around in disbelief, like she couldn’t believe that someone had dared to cause this to happen to a Star Destroyer. The ship rumbled as the explosions spread.

“Sir, there’s a ship coming towards us. It’s not one of our’s.”

“Launch a squadron of TIEs! Shoot it out of the sky!”

Just as ordered, TIE fighters swarmed out like hornets ready to defend their hive. They converged on the ship and fired. The enemy ship fired back at them, taking out two fighters directly in front of it. As the ship got closer Karras’ eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist. He recognized that ship. It belonged to the rebels that stole the Orlesean vessel and made a fool out of him. Oh, he was going to enjoy seeing it go up in flames. One ship was no match for a squadron of TIE fighters. They would pick apart those shields, and then send it to the void.

“Sir! Some ships just came out of hyperspace!”

“The Admiral agreed to send us more ships after all?” Karras asked. Operation Annulment wasn’t over yet.

“I’m afraid not, sir.”

Outside the viewport, dozens of ships came into view and swarmed towards the _Holy Smite_. It didn’t take an expert in ships to tell that they weren’t Imperial standard fighters. They fired on the attacking TIEs fighters, coming to the aid of the rebel ship. Most of the TIEs broke away from their original target to pursue the new attackers.

“Captain,” Elthina finally spoke up. “We need to evacuate! The ship is going to blow at any second!”

Karras ignored her. So what if the ship was going down? They were going to see this through and take out as many rebels as they could. The rebels would not have the last lick today. He heard Elthina run off the bridge.

* * *

Anders and Garrett ran through the hallway, desperately looking for an empty escape pod. Most of the officers and soldiers on board had been smart enough to bail the second the evacuation alarm went off, rather than go down with the ship. If they failed to find one, they would have to run to another hallway or rush out to the hanger, praying against all odds that they got there before the ship blew up. It wouldn’t be very long now, since the entire ship was filling up with fire and entire hallways were blocked off by falling debris.

This was why Anders had been so sure that he wouldn’t survive his plan. He figured that he’d have no way off the ship once he was done, and not even the Force would save him. He wasn’t even sure they were going to escape now.

At least he would die with Garrett. But before they did, he had to let him know at last. He and Justice didn’t want to die without him knowing how they felt.

“Garrett, if we die here, there’s something you need to know…”

“Save it for when we get home,” Garrett shouted, and pointed. “Look!”

Anders followed Garrett’s finger and grinned as relief washed over him. There was one more escape pod that hadn’t been taken. 

They rushed forward and quickly shuffled inside the pod, slamming the button to close the hatch. Right before the pod launched, they saw someone running towards them, hand stretched out as if they could physically stop the pod from ejecting. She got smaller and smaller as the pod shot out into space.

“Was that Minister Elthina?” Garrett asked.

“It certainly looked like her.” He looked out of the pod’s window, seeing ships of different models engaged in combat with TIE fighters. Where had they come from? Surely Commander Orsino hadn’t rallied everybody up on short notice and gotten everyone airborne.

He then spotted a familiar ship. “The _Hawke’s Talon_! Quick, open a transmission!”

Garrett was already on it, opening up a frequency through the pod’s distress beacon. “This is Starlings 1 and 2. I repeat, Starlings 1 and 2 are in this pod and waiting for pick up.”

_“Starling 4. We read you Starling 1, and are coming in.”_

The _Talon_ swooped towards them. Once the ship was close enough, they found themselves being pulled in towards it, until the pod fastened itself to the underside of the ship. Carver opened the cargo hatch and Garrett opened the pod door, allowing Anders and him to slip out and into the cargo hold. Once they were safely inside, the cargo hatch closed and they heard the pod detach.

Both men dashed to the cockpit, where the entire gang was waiting for them. Carver got out of the pilot’s seat and let his brother have the controls. Anders stood behind the pilot’s chair, since Bethany was in the co-pilot’s seat and the two back seats were occupied. The battle was still going on, and the Star Destroyer was quickly turning into a metallic mass of clustered explosions.

“So you survived after all,” Fenris said to Anders dryly.

“Don’t sound so crushed,” Anders quipped, just as dryly.

“I wasn’t,” Fenris replied. “I’m just glad that Hawke didn’t end up risking his life for no reason.”

The _Hawke’s Talon_ flew into battle, taking out a TIE that was on the tail of an A-Wing. “Merrill,” He ordered. “Take the rear gun!”

“On it!” The dalish elf high-tailed it out of the cockpit and towards the back.

“Who are these people?” Bethany asked. “Where did this other squadron come from?”

“Whoever they are, they’re obviously on our side,” Carver replied, checking the instruments.

With the _Hawke’s Talon_ providing backup, the Imperials didn’t stand a chance. Their TIEs were unshielded, and it was like picking off gnats. A pair of TIEs got on their tail, but between Merrill on the guns and another rebel helping out, the TIEs stood no chance.

They were only a few minutes into the battle when the _Holy Smite_ let out one final explosion and went up like a supernova. A few TIEs that had been near the ship were thrown back. Debris from the ship rained down on Lowtown, and Garrett felt extra grateful that they’d evacuated most of the town.

With the Star Destroyer gone and most of their own picked off, the remaining TIEs retreated back to the planet surface.

Garrett leaned back in his seat, grinning and laughing. They’d done it. They’d saved Kirkwall and survived. He looked up at Anders, who was also grinning.

“Looks like we won,” Anders said.

* * *

Lowtown was in a bad state. The market and two residential areas were decimated. There was also some additional damage caused by falling debris from the Star Destroyer, though thankfully a lot of it fell into the ocean. Sadly, a few people didn’t make it out of the city and were crushed by the collapsing buildings. Garrett told himself that it could have been much worse, and thanks to the evacuations, a majority of Lowtown’s population was still alive. The evacuated citizens were starting to come out from the tunnels and surrounding woods. After seeing the _Hawke’s Talon_ fly over them, many people knew who to thank for their lives.

The attack on Darktown never came, thanks to the destruction of the _Holy Smite_. Orsino and his forces slowly emerged from the undercity and returned to base. Apparently, quite a few people had willingly taken up arms, including the Twi’lek brothers Anders had helped a while back. Both of them were at the base when the _Talon_ touched back down.

The rebels greeted Hawke and his friends with claps and cheers. Garrett and the others waved at everybody, but Anders was shying away from all the attention. He reached out to hold Anders’ arm. Anders looked startled by the touch, but quickly gave his friend a grateful smile.

Orsino made his way through the crowd and everyone hushed. The elf looked brighter than Garrett had ever seen him. He came to stand in front of the group and said, “Come with me to the command center. There’s someone who wants to meet you.”

As they followed Orsino to the tent that served as the command center, Garrett noticed a ship that he was certain wasn’t one of theirs. He would recognize that ship model anywhere. It was an old Delta-7, just like his father used to fly. Blue streaks decorated the hull, and painted on the wing closest to them was a grey griffon.

Hawke and his friends entered the tent and gathered around. Standing in the center of the tent, near the command console, was a young elven woman in a pilot’s suit. She had dark brown hair and a knife scar on her cheek. Despite not being very tall and on the lanky side, there was something about her that boded confidence. Like you took one look at her and knew that she was someone you wanted on your side.

She nodded at Hawke. “General Tabris of Griffon Squadron, at your service. And you must be Lieutenant Garrett Hawke.”

“Guilty as charged,” Garrett shook hands with Tabris. “I must say, if it wasn’t for you, my friends and I would have been done for.”

“We rebels look out for each other,” Tabris said. “A certain dwarf acquaintance of ours called us and said that you were going to need backup. He told me what you were going to do, so I grabbed some of my best pilots and off we went.”

Garrett reminded himself to thank Varric later. Hopefully the Hanged Man hadn’t been a casualty of the bombardment, and the dwarf was safe.

“So, you want to tell us about what happened up there? I’m pretty sure Star Destroyers don’t just explode for no reason.” Tabris asked. Garrett and Anders told the whole story, though Anders left out the part where Justice intervened and saved them both. Anders said that Meredith had died when she fell into the initial generator explosion, and Hawke backed him up. When it was over, Tabris whistled. “That took a lot of guts.”

“That Meredith decided to use lyrium,” Fenris sighed and shook his head. “Death was a mercy at that point.”

“I can see why even the Empire doesn’t mess with that stuff,” Isabela agreed.

“You know,” Tabris said. “I didn’t just come here to get the details on this little adventure. I may have an ulterior motive too. This was a major victory for Kirkwall, but Ferelden is still under the Imperial yolk.” She looked at Garrett. “I’ve heard a lot about your skills as a pilot and warrior. We could really use someone like you on Griffon Squadron.” She looked at the others. “That goes for the rest of you too. We’re always looking for those who are capable and willing to fight.”

The idea of going back to Ferelden was a tempting one. He’d gotten attached to Kirkwall, but Ferelden would always be the place he was born and raised in. It would always be his true home.

But the fight for Kirkwall wasn’t over yet. Dragon Squadron still needed him.

“That’s very kind of you to offer, General,” Garrett said. “But I intend to stay with Dragon Squadron. I hope you understand.”

“Of course,” Tabris said, with an understanding nod. She looked at the others, “You sure I can’t snag any of you?” Everybody looked at each other and made comments of polite refusal. Relief filled Garrett. He would have missed this ragtag group if any of them had decided to leave.

“Guess that’s that, then,” Tabris brushed past them and was about to leave.

“Wait.”

All eyes turned to Carver. Tabris, who had been right at the tent entrance, stopped and turned around to face him. He stepped forward, “I’ll go with you.”

Garrett and Bethany exchanged shocked glances and approached their brother. “Why?” Bethany asked.

“Look, I’m glad I was able to help Kirkwall and all, but I can’t just stay in Garrett’s shadow forever. I need to make my own path, even if it’s with a different squadron, defending another planet. Besides, Ferelden needs us, and I want to defend the planet we called home.”

Garrett and Bethany regarded their brother sadly. He was right of course. Garrett loved his brother, but perhaps a change was just what he needed to get him out of the funk he’d been in for weeks. He wouldn’t be taking orders from his older brother, and would be able to prove that he was more than just the brother of Garrett and his Jedi sister.

“Alright,” Garrett said softly. “If that’s what you want to do, then we won’t stop you.”

“Thank you, brother.”

Bethany hugged her twin. “First Mother and uncle, and now we’re saying goodbye to you.”

“We’re still a family,” Carver assured her, squeezing her back. “We’ll see each other when this is all over and we kick the Empire’s ass.” He pulled out of Bethany’s grip and went to stand beside Tabris.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure he comes home safely,” Tabris assured them.

Right as they turned to leave, Garrett said, “Brother?” Carver and Tabris looked back, and Garrett smiled. “May the Force be with you.”

Carver smiled back. “Always.” With that final word, Tabris and Carver left the tent. Garrett felt an ache in his heart. Carver had been a pain, but Garrett was going to miss him.

“I miss him already,” Merrill sighed. “He could be funny when he wanted to be.”

“Well, since the rest of you are staying,” Orsino said, drawing attention back to him. He approached Garrett, pride in his voice and face. “I think a few things are in order. For your bravery and part in saving Kirkwall, I hereby promote you, Garrett Hawke, to Captain.”

Garrett stood there in shock for a few seconds, before he beamed. “Thank you, sir.”

“And you, Anders,” Orsino turned to the ex-Jedi, who looked surprised that he was being addressed too. “For your selfless actions, I’m promoting you to Lieutenant-Commander.”

Anders’ mouth hung open. Merrill and Bethany came forward to congratulate him and Garrett, giving both of them huge hugs. Fenris and Isabela stood back and watched. Isabela had an amused smile on her face, while Fenris had the tiniest quirk of his lip. R3 gave joyful beeps.

Anders and Garrett’s eyes met. Anders truly hadn’t expected to survive, but not only had he lived, but he’d been rewarded. It was a good day indeed.

* * *

That night, the rebels had a small celebration at the base, with dancing, music and even some alcohol. They had just scored a major victory and prevented widespread death. The parts of Lowtown that got destroyed would need to be rebuilt, and hopefully they could get some civilian volunteers. But for now, everybody just wanted a break, and a reminder that the Empire could be beaten. It would be good for morale, and thus the Commander had allowed it.

Rather than join them, Anders sat inside the cockpit of the _Hawke’s Talon_ , just watching the celebration. He would probably be expected to take part in the revelry, but he wasn’t in the mood to party. Master Pounce-a-lot sat in his lap, purring.

They were celebrating because of him. It had been his idea to destroy the _Holy Smite_ , and he and Justice had pulled it off. He certainly hadn’t expected to live to see the aftermath. Yet, here he was, and with a fresh promotion to a command position. Orsino wouldn’t have given it out if he thought Anders didn’t deserve it. The only question was where to go from here.

He was going to stay with the rebellion and Dragon Squadron, certainly. If Garrett had left with Tabris, he would have gone with them. But, part of him couldn’t help but feel that Garrett still would have been better off without him. He had gone into the belly of a Star Destroyer for him, rather than leave him to die. Anders wasn’t sure if he felt horrified or flattered.

Behind him, the door slid open. Anders looked over his shoulder and saw Garrett coming inside. Anders gently took the cat off his lap and stood up. Pounce immediately leapt into the warm pilot’s seat and curled up, going back to sleep.

Anders and Garrett stood at arm’s length, just taking in one another.

“Got tired of the party?”

“It didn’t feel right not having you there,” Garrett said. A beat, then, “You did a gutsy thing up there. But, it worked. You saved Kirkwall.” He didn’t sound angry. Rather, he sounded relieved. Like he was getting something off his chest.

“I still can’t believe you came for me,” Anders whispered. “You didn’t have to.”

“Of course I did. I care about you, Anders, I wasn’t going to let you die like that.” Garrett looked at his boots, then back at Anders. “There’s something I need to tell you, and it can’t wait until this is over or until one of us wants to sacrifice ourselves again.” He took a few steps closer and looked Anders right in the eye. “You mean the universe to me, Anders. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I feel that I trust you more than anybody else, barring my siblings. I think about you all the time. I never want anything bad to happen to you, and the thought of losing you keeps me up at night.”

Garrett paused, gathering his words and wetting his lips. He whispered, “Anders, I love you.”

Anders felt like a tidal wave of emotion had hit him. Sadness, joy, relief, all stirred together in a cocktail, making Anders’ heart feel like it was going to burst. It was out in the open now. He couldn’t pretend that things were one-sided anymore. 

Tears streamed from his eyes. “I love you too, Garrett.”

Unable to deny things anymore, the two closed the distance between themselves and embraced one another, their lips meeting in a kiss. This was really happening. Garrett loved him. He had taken down Meredith, lived to see tomorrow, gotten promoted, and had the love of his life in his arms. As they kissed, Anders knew that he would want no other. He felt a pleasant thrill from Justice as the spirit experienced a kiss for the first time through Anders.

When they parted, Anders asked, “What about Justice?”

“Does Justice not like me?” Garrett frowned.

“No,” Anders shook his head. “On the contrary.”

“Good. Because I love him too.”

“Really?”

“Of course. He’s a part of you, and to love you is to love him. You hear that Justice? I love you.”

A surge of elation went through Justice and into Anders. “Well, that makes his millennium, because he loves you too.”

They kissed again, and Justice came out for a few seconds, to experience a kiss first hand. Garrett gasped, but didn’t pull away. The spirit decided that he liked kissing, and wanted to do it some more with the man they both loved. Justice went back down when they parted lips.

“Do you want to go out to the party?” Garrett asked.

“Actually, I think I just want to be with you for a while.”

“Works for me.”

The two went back into the hallway, and towards Garrett’s quarters.

* * *

The land-speeder parked right outside the seemingly-abandoned radio station out on the Wounded Coast. The rider got out, looked around to make sure she hadn’t been followed and entered the building. This building had been left to the elements after the Clone Wars, but she’d gotten it working again, and even made a few upgrades for secure transmissions.

Once she was inside, she turned on the lights, and found someone sitting in her seat. She wasn’t startled, since she knew he’d be there.

“It looks like everything worked out,” Varric said, lounging back.

“For now, perhaps,” Said Leliana, closing the door and stepping further into the small building, sitting on a crate. “We didn’t come out of this unscathed.”

“If it weren’t for you, we never would have gotten everyone evacuated in time, so I figure we take what we can get.” Varric looked at the transmitter to his left. “And nobody in Meredith’s posse suspected that you’re Fulcrum?”

“Not once. I think you’ll find that I’m very good at what I do.” So many times she’d wanted to step in but couldn’t, since she couldn’t jeopardize her cover. Cullen calling Meredith and plotting to have Hawke’s mother arrested had been particularly painful to watch. She had to play the part of the loyal bard, and that meant pretending that she agreed with the Empire’s methods.

“Hawke’s not dumb, he might figure it out eventually, assuming you never tell him yourself.” Varric leaned forward, his face serious. “The Empire isn’t going to take this lying down, you know.”

Leliana nodded. “Hawke is in their sights now. They will start to consider him and his allies a serious threat before long. That is where he will need allies such as you and I.”

“I’m curious,” Varric said, leaning back again. “How did you figure out what Meredith had planned in time to warn the rebels?”

“It wasn’t hard. I overheard that Meredith was going to have a meeting with Cullen and Elthina, and went to her to convince her to let me in on it. She refused, but I was able to plant a commlink in her office when she wasn’t looking, and that’s how I heard the name of her plan. Once she left, I got the commlink back and now that I knew what to look for, I spliced into her computer and looked up Operation Annulment. From there, I just had to warn the rebels.”

“Very clever,” Varric praised. “So, where will you go now?”

“I plan to return to Orlais for a time, before I am inevitably called back out. I wasn’t here during Operation Annulment, but I was one of the investigating agents.” Cassandra and her own men had also done an investigation, in secret, but had allowed Meredith to continue on without reprimand.

“I’m guessing that you personally smooth talked Celene into sending you?”

“But of course.” After all, who would ever suspected that loyal Nightingale was a spy for the rebellion? Plus, this way Celene wouldn’t send someone who truly was loyal to the Empire. Leliana checked her chrono. “I must go, I have dallied long enough. Take care of yourself, Varric.”

“And you try not to get yourself caught.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Act 1. Tune in next time when an actual Star Wars villain makes his grand entrance.


	16. Chapter 16

_Six months later_

The landspeeder was practically a blur as it sped through Hightown, as were the two bikes hot on its tail. The streets weren’t full at this time of day, but the driver of the landspeeder still took pains to avoid civilians who happened to be out that day. The dalish elf sitting in the front passenger seat held onto the dashboard, while the two men in the back kept an eye on the Scout Troopers chasing them.

“Give us your stolen cargo and surrender, rebels!”

The stolen cargo consisted of two boxes of spare ship parts in the trunk of the speeder. Stealing them from the transport had been the easy part.

“Can’t this thing go any faster?” Anders shouted over the noise.

“Unless you, Merrill or Hawke installed a thruster while I wasn’t looking, that would be no,” Isabela shouted back.

The four of them ducked quickly as the Scout Troopers behind them began shooting at them. Anders swore as one of them came very close to hitting him, but luckily missed and just scorched the back passenger door. Another came within a hair’s breadth of hitting Isabela. Garrett wondered if these guys just weren’t good shots, or if they were new and weren’t used to trying to shoot a moving target while on a speeder bike.

Things were better than they had been under Meredith and Elthina, but Garrett had hoped that with their deaths and the destruction of the _Holy Smite_ , the rebels could fully liberate the planet.

Unfortunately, the Empire wasn’t off Kirkwall entirely yet. Those who had gotten off of the _Holy Smite_ in escape pods or TIEs had landed back on Kirkwall, and only a handful officers and soldiers had been captured. The recon agents reported that the other escapees had reconvened at Meredith’s base, including Captain Cullen. It seemed that while Meredith had indeed fully intended to sacrifice a lot of Stormtroopers in her quest to destroy the rebels (some of whom had died during Operation Annulment), quite a lot more Stormtroopers had been left at their base, which Meredith likely never intended to hit. Thus, there were a lot more Empire forces left on Kirkwall than they imagined.

Storming that base had been suggested, but it was heavily guarded with snipers and turrets, and the rebels still didn’t have the numbers to take it by force. Especially not after the Empire sent for reinforcements to replace the troopers killed during Operation Annulment.

Governor Dumar feared for his life too much to do anything about it, and there was the fear among the rebels that if he spoke out, then the Empire would just imprison him and replace him with someone more gung-ho for rebel blood.

The one bit of good news was that the new Stormtrooper commander wasn’t as bad as Meredith, though that was admittedly a very low bar. A new Minister was also never put in place. Garrett could only hope that with enough time and patience, they could wear things down and reclaim Kirkwall from the Empire.

Garrett looked over at Anders. Justice could get them out of this. He kept waiting for the blue glow to show up, but Anders kept his head down, tending to a minor wound Garrett had received when he banged his shin during their hasty escape.

“Take a right!” Merrill shouted. “I have an idea.”

“You got it!” Isabela swerved to the right, turning so sharply that the passengers were forced to one side of the speeder.

This way took them into a park, full of grass, some flowers and a scattering of trees, and a lake straight ahead. People who had been enjoying their day saw the speeders and ran to get out of the way. The pursuing Troopers zipped right into the park after them, still shooting at the rebels.

“Cover me,” Merrill said and knelt backwards in her seat. Anders opened his lightsaber to block any blaster fire aimed at her, while Garrett fired off a few shots of his own at their pursuers. The elf closed her eyes and stretched out her hands. Garrett wondered what she was going to do, expecting her to throw something at the speeder bikes or cause one of them to swerve.

They passed in between a pair of trees and still nothing had happened.

Right as Garrett was about to question her, he saw the ground between the trees begin to move. Something was slithering underneath the grass. As the Scout Troopers drew closer to the trees, the roots shot up from the ground and ensnared their bikes. The troopers flew off their vehicles and landed in the grass.

Merrill sat back down with a smug look in her eye. Isabela pulled her in and kissed her cheek, “That’s my girl.”

The elf giggled and squirmed, “ _Vhenan,_ , eyes forward. You don’t want to hit anyone.”

“Later then,” Isabela said with a wink and let Merrill go to resume driving.

Garrett hadn’t been entirely surprised when those two had gotten together a few months ago. The pirate insisted that it was all just in the name of fun, yet she hadn’t so much as made sex eyes at anyone else since she and Merrill became a thing. Either way, Garrett was glad for them.

The team finding out that Garrett and Anders were a thing had gotten mixed reactions after they’d announced it. Merrill and Bethany had been more than pleased to see them finally admit their feelings for one another, Isabela had smirked and told them ‘it’s about time’, R3 had made some noises that Garrett was pretty sure were happy ones, and Fenris had just shrugged and said ‘good for you’. Garrett hadn’t been sure how to take Fenris’s reaction.

Anders closed his lightsaber and leaned forward to poke his head in between the front seats. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“It’s an ancient Keeper technique,” The dalish elf explained. “We can use the Force to ask nature to aid us, just as some Force sensitives can forge connections with animals and call upon them.”

“Well, you learn something new every day,” Anders sat back down beside Garrett. He looked his lover over, “Are you hurt?”

“Relax, Anders, I’m fine.” Perhaps they hadn’t needed Justice after all. But Garrett still figured that it would have been safe enough, since the Scout Troopers hadn’t been super close and they might not have gotten a good look if Anders started glowing. Or they might have chalked it up to their imagination. Anders hadn’t called upon Justice since they killed Meredith, even when the spirit’s aid would have made a missing much easier. Garrett decided he’d ask his lover about it when they got back to the base.

Once they were out of the park, it was a straight shot to where they’d stashed the _Hawke’s Talon_.

* * *

Cullen sneaked a quick glance at the other three sitting around the table with him.

There was Leliana, the bard who was only here because she’d been on Kirkwall shortly before Operation Annulment went down.

Sitting next to her was Cassandra Pentagast. Cassandra was part of a special Stormtrooper group known as the Seekers. The Seekers operated similarly to ISB, in that part of their job involved investigating Officers and high-ranking Stormtroopers thought to be abusing their authority and committing illegal acts, though the Seekers also boasted combat skills that ISB agents didn’t have. The other part of the Seekers’ duties were going after particularly dangerous criminals. Cassandra worked closely with the Imperial Council, which was probably the main reason she was here.

Next to Cassandra was _Madam_ Vivienne _de Fer_ , Celene’s top advisor and one of the most influential women on Orlais. Now this was a woman you didn’t want to mess with. She was an elegant woman, as shown in the way she dressed and held herself. While the other three wore uniforms, she wore a shimmering dress, lovely jewelry, and a bejeweled hat that resembled horns. She also knew the fine points of Orlesian politics and could play them with ease, thus making her someone you really didn’t want as an enemy. Since Orlais was close to Kirkwall, and the Kirkwall incident had caused a ripple effect with the rebellion on that world, Celene was called to attend the meeting. She couldn’t make it and thus sent Vivienne in her place.

The room lit up as the last attendee appeared in holo form. Grand Moff Tarkin.

“I trust you all know why I’ve called you here?” Tarkin asked.

“Of course, Moff Tarkin,” Cassandra replied. “Because of what happened on Kirkwall six months ago.”

“Indeed,” Tarkin replied. “Not only did Commander Stannard fail to destroy the rebels and lose the _Holy Smite_ , but the incident has spurned the fires through the rest of the Thedas sector. It has become a rallying cry for insurgents and terrorists.”

“It is particularly bad in Orlais,” Vivienne said. “Celene’s own handmaiden has defected to their side.”

“Yes, I heard about what happened in Haramsharal,” Tarkin said, giving no hint of emotion, as if Vivienne had just said that it rained too much and ruined a picnic. “Ever since the failure of Operation Annulment, the rebels’ ranks have swelled, and Dragon Squadron has been pulling off raids against our own forces. Something needs to be done. Captain Hawke and his compatriots have become a bigger problem than we anticipated. They need to be captured and publicly tried.” After they’d been interrogated, he meant.

“We’ve got a handle on it, Your Excellency,” Cullen insisted. “I will personally bring Captain Hawke and his rebel compatriots to you.” He wanted Hawke and his friends captured more than anybody, but the rebels were proving to be a slippery bunch. If only Hawke had chosen to turn that leadership talent towards a greater good, rather than align himself with those terrorists. The scar on his lip was a reminder to never give Hawke another chance.

Tarkin’s steely eyes fixed on the younger man. “Need I remind you that you are just as responsible for that lost Star Destroyer? You also publicly announced that there were two Jedi alive and on the loose. A grievous error on the part of you and Commander Stannard.”

“With all due respect, Your Excellency…” Cullen started, only to be cut off when Tarkin gave him a look that said he would have to consider his next words very carefully. Biting his tongue, he instead asked, “So then how are we to get a handle on things again?”

“Perhaps we may pull Admiral Konstantine away from Lothal to assist us?” Leliana suggested.

“No, we should send the Lord Seeker,” Cassandra piped in. “He will deal with these rebels.”

“If I may, Moff Tarkin,” Vivienne spoke up. “I know someone who will do the job very efficiently, and will succeed where Meredith failed.”

Vivienne made her suggestion, while also presenting her reasons for why she wanted this person in particular, and the room grew deathly quiet.

“Very well, Madam Vivienne,” Tarkin said.

“I object,” Cullen snapped. “We don’t need help from the likes of _him_.”

“That is not your call to make, Captain,” Tarkin replied. “You had your chance to handle things, and you’ve proven yourself inept. I am sending him to the Thedas sector immediately, and you three are to meet him above Orlais. You are dismissed.” The hologram faded and everyone stood up to resume their duties. Much as Cullen hated to admit it, it really wasn’t up to him who got called in for backup. It was out of his hands now.

* * *

The _Hawke’s Talon_ touched back down at the rebel base and Garrett went to report to Orsino. The older man asked, “Did you get the parts?”

“We did, sir,” Garrett gestured to the boxes on the lift. “A crate full of spare ship parts ready to be used. Unfortunately, this is all we could get before some Scout Troopers spotted us.”

“It will have to do then,” Orsino replied. “You are dismissed, Captain.”

Maintaining gear and ships wasn’t easy when wanted posters decorated Hightown and Lowtown’s market district was still getting back in order. Thus, you took what you could get, and as far as anyone was concerned, stealing from Stormtroopers was a victimless crime.

The Empire hadn’t stepped in to fix the damage Meredith did. Some of the rebels had helped in the rebuilding efforts, even as their primary focus had to be continuing to fight the Empire. Many were left homeless in the wake of Operation Annulment. The shelters in Lowtown and Darktown had been cramped for a long time, and it was only in recent months that enough apartments had been rebuilt so as to allow people to move back in. But, Lowtown wasn’t out of the water yet, especially since the Empire had regained a foothold on Kirkwall. Other citizens saw the incident as a wake up call and gladly signed on with the rebellion.

Dragon Squadron, particularly Garrett’s team, saw many small victories over the past few months. The problem with Imperials was that they only saw immediate victories, and would throw everything at a rebel if it would salve a wounded ego, no matter how hopeless victory seemed or whether the victory would only be a matter of personal satisfaction. For example, two weeks ago, the captain of a Light Cruiser had sent a dozen TIE fighters after the _Hawke’s Talon_ rather than let them get away with some supplies that were basically a drop in a bucket to the Empire. The result had been a dozen shot down TIEs. Another time, the team had rescued a ship full of alien refugees after the Empire left them drifting in space once they took the precious metals the ship had also been carrying.

No seeing the bigger picture, only seeing small, immediate victories. No concern for anyone but themselves.

Garrett returned to his ship. Fenris sat in the kitchen nursing a bottle of wine, Bethany was meditating in her room, R3 roamed around to make sure the ship was in order, and Merrill and Isabela had retreated to the room they now shared. He could easily imagine what they were getting up to. He then entered the room he shared with Anders, finding his lover sitting on the floor, dangling some string for Master Pounce. The loth cat grabbed at the string playfully, while his master grinned widely.

When the door closed behind him, Garrett sat down across from Anders and watched the two play. Anders pocketed the string, and any ire the cat might have had was soothed when Anders started petting him behind the ears. Garrett joined in on the petting, running his hands through the loth cat’s back fur.

He wanted to just enjoy this small moment with his lover. When one helped lead a rebellion, every day was precious, because it could all be taken away in a flash. Therefore, you enjoyed every moment you had with those you loved. But his curiosity continued to gnaw at him and it wouldn’t leave him alone until it felt sated. Better to ask now and get it out of the way than put it off.

“Can I ask you something, love?” Garrett asked.

“Of course.”

“I was just wondering why you don’t call upon Justice more often. I mean, he could have helped us back there. For that matter, I can think of several times when he would have come in handy, but he never showed up.”

Anders finally looked up at Garrett, even though he never took his hand off his pet. He wasn’t smiling anymore. “Because calling upon him is too dangerous.”

“Dangerous how?”

“If I let him take charge too often, there’s a chance we could both fall to the dark side.”

Garrett was taken aback, his hand pausing halfway down Pounce’s back. “That can happen to spirits?”

“Yes.” Anders stood, looking at the small nook that held the Inquisitor lightsaber Garrett had insisted on keeping. “When a spirit becomes corrupted by the dark side, they become what is known as a demon. While spirits can represent virtues, demons represent vices and negative traits, such as sloth, wrath, or terror. And just like spirits, they can bond with a Force sensitive. When that happens, they’re a danger to everybody, including the one they share a body with. You’ve seen what Justice can do, imagine all that power but harnessed by the dark side.”

It was a disconcerting idea, Garrett had to admit. He recalled Justice easily holding his own against a highly-trained Inquisitor, and the way he’d pulled out a huge chunk of metal like it was made of clay and thrown it hard enough to reduce Meredith to a gory smear. If the Inquisitors had that kind of power, they would be unstoppable. 

“Still, you’re a good person. I don’t see how you can be scared about turning to the dark side.”

Anders paused. “Because it’s happened before,” The ex-Jedi turned around, his eyes full of sadness. “Justice told me all about it. Long ago, before Palpatine, going as far back as Darth Revan’s era, there was a Jedi who found the spirits’ homeworld and merged with a spirit of valor. For a while, they were a good team and they defeated may Sith, with their only goal being to make the galaxy safer. But then, the more they used their power, the more they liked it, and it went to their head. It wasn't long before it corrupted them both, and they became demon and Sith. After that, their only goal was galactic domination, and those who refused to submit to them were destroyed.”

Garrett’s blood ran cold just listening to this. The idea of that happening to Anders was unthinkable. “What happened to them?”

“A group of powerful Jedi defeated and killed them, thank the stars, but not before they carved a path of death and destruction. The very few Jedi who knew about spirits decided to erase all evidence of their existence and let their world’s location die with them. That way nobody, Jedi or Sith, would go looking for them. They also claimed the Sith was just unusually powerful, which isn’t entirely unheard of.”

“So, you’re the first Force sensitive who’s merged with a spirit in centuries,” Garrett said, getting off the floor and standing before Anders. “That actually makes you pretty special.”

“I know, and I am glad that I met Justice. But still, one slip up and it’s over for the both of us.” He looked into Garrett’s eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you. Or worse, what if I turn and then try to get you to come with me?”

Garrett put his hands on Anders’ shoulders. “Call me a fool, but you’re the last person I could see falling to the dark side,” He leaned up and kissed his beloved. “You’re strong, caring, kind, and the most selfless man I’ve ever met.”

Anders gazed into Garrett’s eyes and smiled. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Sure you do. Now put the cat out in the hallway and let me show you how much I love you.”

* * *

Cullen, Cassandra and Leliana stood together on the Light Cruiser’s bridge, awaiting the man who Vivienne and Tarkin claimed was going to fix things in the Thedas sector. _Madam de Fer_ had returned to Orlais, and thus wasn’t present to greet their guest. His personal Star Destroyer had just come out of orbit and the hanger crew had reported in to say that his shuttle had landed safely. Now it was just a matter of waiting a few minutes for him to get to the bridge.

“I still don’t like it,” Cullen told the women.

“You don’t have to like it,” Cassandra replied. “That does not change the fact that so far we have had very little luck with Dragon Squadron. If Vivienne claims that he can help, then I believe her. Hopefully, his presence will be enough for the rebels to finally stand down.”

But Cullen remained stubborn. “What makes anyone think he could do a better job?”

“Am I allowed to come to my defense, Captain?”

The three of them turned towards the man who had spoken, right as he entered the bridge and caught the tail end of the discussion. That was Tarkin’s man, without a doubt, as suggested by Celene’s advisor.

He stood tall and proud, hands clasped behind his back, and he had a very commanding presence about him that seemed to just be built into his DNA. This was a man who drew others’ attention when he entered, and not just because of the glowing red eyes and blue skin.

It was Leliana who greeted him, “Welcome to the Thedas sector, Grand Admiral Thrawn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, this fic isn't going to demonize Vivienne. While she is aligned with the Empire, she's not evil and she has her own, complicated motivations for choosing to remain loyal, which will be revealed later. Thing is, with the way she treats the mage rebellion in her home canon, I really can't see her being a rebel in this. So, to anyone who's worried that she's basically going to be Arihnda Pryce, fear not.
> 
> I also want to make it clear that Cullen is an unreliable narrator most of the time.


	17. Chapter 17

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Thrawn nodded to the three humans. Cullen tried to look professional, but Thrawn could tell that he wasn’t very pleased; Cassandra’s face was carefully neutral; Leliana remained pleasant, but formally so. Thrawn himself betrayed no emotion, as usual.

This was Thrawn’s first time meeting a bard and a Seeker. He’d studied artwork from Orlais and Nevarra ahead of time, and though neither woman was an artist and he didn’t have access to any art they possessed, he was confident that his studies of their worlds’ cultural artwork would be adequate.

He didn’t need to see any artwork to know what Cullen was all about.

“ _Madam_ Vivienne said that you are someone who gets results,” Cassandra said. “I assume you have a plan for how to deal with the rebels?”

“That is why I am here, Seeker Pentaghast,” Thrawn stated calmly. “Once I have studied these rebels, and learned more about them, I will be able to come up with a solution.”

“Study them?” Cullen snorted. “We need action, not sitting about while they cause more trouble.”

Thrawn turned his glowing eyes towards the other man, narrowing them slightly. “We should do as Commander Stannard did, you mean.” It wasn’t a question.

“Of course,” Cullen replied. “Meredith’s methods were harsh, yes, but she kept people safe.”

“Until she declared that Kirkwall was beyond her ability to help, you mean.”

Cullen opened his mouth to retort, but none came. He opened and closed his mouth another few times, before falling silent.

Thrawn turned to the others and said, “I will want to speak with you two of you in my office on my Star Destroyer. My shuttle will take us to the _Chimaera_.” He turned to Cullen, “You may return to your patrol, Captain.”

The Grand Admiral turned around to leave, with Cassandra and Leliana right behind him.

* * *

Cassandra glanced at some of the artwork lining the hallway as she made her way to Thrawn’s office. It seemed the Grand Admiral was something of a collector. Everybody had their hobbies, she supposed. She herself often partook in spicy literature. Perhaps as long as she was in this sector, she could find the time to visit Kirkwall and beg Master Tethras to finish his romance serial.

Cassandra remembered when the first stirrings of rebellion had happened just a couple of years ago. At the time, she figured it was merely general discontent, until that unrest had been followed by more and more incidents on several more worlds. She had hoped that it would not come to open rebellion and war, but that was too much to ask for. The rebels had thrown the galaxy into chaos, endangering everybody and threatening stability. She could only hope that once this was over, things would go right back to the way they were, with the citizens trusting the Empire to take care of them. After all, the Empire did so much good, and getting rid of it would cause more problems than it would solve. Cassandra very much doubted that what happened on Kirkwall would ever happen again.

When she entered the office, the room was aglow with many holos of artwork. Some of it she recognized as Nevarran, because as someone who came from nobility, she saw lots of art collections throughout her childhood and had taken art history as part of her lessons. Why the Grand Admiral had brought up holos of artwork from her home planet, she couldn’t say. Perhaps he was trying to make her feel more at ease. It wouldn’t work. All this artwork just reminded Cassandra of her uncle, whom she had never gotten along with, and the life she had chosen to leave behind in favor of joining the Empire’s forces.

While she didn’t protest Thrawn’s ascension to the rank of Grand Admiral five months ago, since she trusted the Council’s decision, she had read over his file and it wasn’t hard to notice all the court marshals. The man had a reputation for being someone who did what he saw as fit, no matter how many protocols he had to ignore. Of course, as a Grand Admiral, he could make the rules and operate as he saw fit now. Yet, Cassandra still wasn’t entirely confident that an alien from the Unknown Region was the right man for this.

Thrawn stood with his back to her, gazing at a holo replica of a Nevarran art piece. The piece in question was a bronze statue of a human skeleton in intricate robes. Her uncle had owned such a statue.

“You wished to speak with me, Grand Admiral?”

“That I did,” Thrawn kept his eyes on the artwork. “The Seekers investigated Kirkwall, did they not?”

“We did,” Cassandra answered. “Not long after Nightingale began her inquiry, some Seekers were secretly sent to the planet to do our own assessment and see if Meredith needed to be removed from her rank. The only ones who knew of our investigation were the Seekers and those we report to, and possibly Nightingale. We were to determine if Meredith was going too far in her ongoing battle with the rebels.”

“What conclusion did you come to?”

“There was abuse by Stormtroopers, yes, and Cullen was not lying when he said that she was indeed very harsh in her methods. But there was so much rebel activity that we decided to let Meredith continue as she did.” The alien had to see that, of course. To disagree that Kirkwall wasn’t a hive of insurgents would show his true ignorance.

Thrawn just stood there, still regarding the artwork, before finally turning his head so that he could fix one glowing red eye on the Seeker. “Do you believe she truly made Kirkwall any safer?”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you believe that by terrorizing the people of Kirkwall, sending death squadrons after civilians with little evidence, and then planning to simply destroy three cities kept Kirkwall and its people safe?”

Cassandra paused. Somehow he’d backed her into a corner. To say yes would not reflect well on her, and paint her as uncaring and ignorant. But to say no was to admit that the Seekers had not properly done their job and had allowed Operation Annulment to occur. Likewise, she couldn’t say that Meredith’s final plan was good or just.

Finally, she said, “Perhaps not.” It was quickly followed up with, “But I believe that Meredith would not have acted as she did if the rebels had simply surrendered, thus proving why Meredith needed to keep her position as Commander.”

Thrawn finally turned to face Cassandra fully, glowing eyes fixed on the Seeker, as if he could bore into her and see right through her soul. Cassandra stood firmly, meeting his gaze head on.

“All Meredith did was cause resentment,” Thrawn stated, his voice glacial. “Her actions leading up to Operation Annulment led the people she claimed to protect into turning on her, and by extension, the Empire. This in turn fed into her conviction that the entire planet was filled with rebels, and thus she felt justified in a full scale bombardment. With that very action, she may very well have turned Kirkwall against the Empire for real, something the Seekers were supposed to prevent.”

She wanted to snap at him, ask him how he could dare think such a thing, and that he should have been blaming the rebels for what happened. To fault the Empire’s forces in this was to speak nonsense. But, in truth, he was only pointing out his own logic in this, and wasn’t saying anything that could be seen as treasonous. After all, rebel activity had indeed gone up after Operation Annulment happened and Kirkwall was dangerously close to ceding from the Empire.

“The blame is not entirely at your feet, Seeker. Minister Elthina was also largely responsible. Her failure to act also played a part.”

“You dare blame Elthina for what happened?” Cassandra hissed, eyes narrowing at Thrawn. The sheer audacity made her forget about ranks and that it was probably a bad idea to mouth off to a Grand Admiral. “Minister Elthina kept the peace as best as she could. She was the innocent mediator in all of this.”

“Was she?” Thrawn went over to his desk and pressed a few buttons. Some of the holos vanished, replaced with paintings and statues. One of the holos depicted a golden statue of Emperor Palpatine.

“What is this?”

“These are pieces from Elthina’s office, or just outside of it.” He pointed a blue finger at the statue of Palpatine. “Do you know how much a statue like that costs to make.”

Cassandra shook her head. Where was he going with this?

“Enough to feed every elf within the alienage for an entire year. The rest of these pieces are also quite expensive, and I do not believe she received them as gifts. This is the collection of a woman who rose to power from nothing and did not wish to fan any flames that would threaten that power.”

“What are you implying?” She really didn’t like where he was going now, but she had to admit that she was curious. What went on in that alien mind of this?

“Elthina outranked Meredith,” Thrawn pointed out, still betraying not even a hint of emotion. “She could have reprimanded Commander Stannard whenever she wished, and made an effort to protect the ordinary citizens. It’s clear from her apathy alone that she did not have Kirkwall’s interests at heart. To change the status quo would be to risk her position.”

“I do not believe you,” Cassandra approached the Grand Admiral, meeting him eye-to-eye. Thrawn remained impassive, hands clasped behind his back. “Elthina was a good woman, a kind woman, and that Jedi murdered her when he and Hawke destroyed the _Holy Smite_.”

“Believe what you will, Seeker,” Thrawn replied coolly. There was a glint of something in his eye, then. “However, she was not a helpless old woman caught in a hard position. She could have easily found a way to aid her people while still not betraying the Empire. I believe she wanted Kirkwall to remain just as it was, with the people scared and held within Commander Stannard’s iron grip, with herself right at the Commander’s side. Let us not forget that she personally recommended Meredith for her position.”

Cassandra just glowered at Thrawn, clenching her fist. He couldn’t be implying what she thought he was, could he? That Elthina had been some manipulator hiding behind a charade of a kindly old woman. He had to be mistaken. The alien Grand Admiral’s lack of skill at politics was known to many, and this had to be the case here.

Yet, Thrawn’s talent for reading people, finding the hidden clues, and seeing patterns that eluded others, was also unrefuted.

“Loyalty gained through fear is not true loyalty,” Thrawn said, turning back to his artwork. “Perhaps Elthina and Meredith would still be alive if they realized this.”

Cassandra wouldn’t give him the benefit of admitting that he had a point. Instead, she said, “The Empire found evidence that Meredith had gotten a hold of raw lyrium.”

“So she did,” Thrawn said, still looking at the art from Elthina’s office. “She likely had it installed within a sword and armor, based on some transaction records.”

“The dwarves who mine it say that unrefined lyrium can cause mental harm,” She added. “A medical team managed to find some remains that they identified as Meredith’s.” Charred as they were. “They found traces of lyrium, so she had to have worn her armor at some point.”

Refined lyrium had been looked at as a potential power source for ships and weapons, but so far it hadn’t panned out. This was mostly due to raw lyrium being so dangerous. Thus, the Empire was sticking to what was known to be safer.

Thrawn turned around and said, “The lyrium did not cause her to do what she did. She ordered the lyrium only a week before Operation Annulment, which she had been planning for months. She also had a routine medical exam two days before the incident, and there was no lyrium in her system.”

Meaning that Meredith was alone in her actions. She was fully responsible for killing all those people and turning Kirkwall against the Empire. All they could do was fix the mess and get Kirkwall back on the Empire’s side.

“You are dismissed, Seeker. Please send in Mistress Nightingale.”

Cassandra nodded and left. She’d had quite enough of this man. Outside Thrawn’s office, Leliana and another woman stood by. “The Grand Admiral will see you now, Leliana.”

“Thank you, Seeker.” Leliana handed the guard her code cylinder, and the door opened for her. She stepped inside, and the door locked behind her.

Cassandra regarded the woman who still stood within the hallway. “Hello, Karyn.”

“Cassandra,” The other woman nodded, her voice guarded but her eyes were hard. It was to be expected when one ran into an ex-lover. “I understand you’re now working with the Imperial Council.”

“And you’ve just been promoted to Commodore. I suppose congratulations are in order.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Cassandra said, “You did not come here just to see me, I am guessing.”

Karyn Faro shook her head. “I have business with the Grand Admiral once you and Nightingale are finished.”

Cassandra looked at the now-closed door, then back at Faro. “You enjoy working under Thrawn?”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Faro stated proudly.

“Well, tell Leliana that I will be waiting within the shuttle when she is finished.”

* * *

The holos of Nevarran artwork were replaced with Orlesean ones when the bard stepped into Thrawn’s office. The holos of Elthina’s collection remained, since he wanted that reminder of the woman’s excess on display.

“In your own words, bard, how would you describe the events that led to Operation Annulment?” Unlike with Cassandra, Thrawn kept his eyes on Leliana. Loyal to the Empire or not, bards could be tricky and he felt the need to keep an eye on her, glowing eyes studying her.

“Queen Celene sent me to assess the situation on Kirkwall on behalf of the Emperor, after concerns were raised regarding the increase in rebel activity. I did notice quite a lot of such activity, especially from Captain Hawke and his crew. Meredith even called to have his family arrested. But then she became convinced that there were rebels hiding around every corner, even when I found no evidence that the rebel cell was as large as she thought.”

“What was your recommendation on how to defuse the situation?”

Leliana paused, then said, “I recommended that Meredith be replaced. The Imperial Council disagreed.” No doubt that the Seekers had a hand in Leliana’s suggestion being discarded, and the Council took their argument over her’s. “I was not present when Operation Annulment happened, and thus I cannot tell you more than you surely already know.”

“So, you think Commander Stannard went too far?”

She looked at him as if he were asking a trick question. But, she firmly stated, “Yes, I do.”

“I agree,” Thrawn replied. Leliana’s eyebrows rose. “Do not look so surprised, Mistress Nightingale. I believe you will find that I do things quite differently from the late Stormtrooper Commander.”

“I just hope you understand that the people of Kirkwall might not welcome a Star Destroyer above them for quite some time.” Thrawn nodded in agreement. “Grand Admiral, if I may ask, why did you only wish to speak with myself and Seeker Pentaghast? Captain Rutherford was closest to what happened.”

“I read his report from six months ago,” Thrawn replied. “I know exactly what he would have told me. Thus I saved the both of us time.” Namely that he would keep insisting that Meredith had been in the right, and the nuclear option had just been a last resort, even after Thrawn pointed out that she had obviously been itching to call for it. He would have made excuses, and Thrawn didn’t have time for endless excuses. Even his patience had its limits.

“So what is your next move, Grand Admiral?”

“In due time,” Thrawn replied. “If I require your services, I will call upon you. You are dismissed.”

Leliana bowed her head and left the office. A few minutes later Commodore Faro joined him and handed him a datacard. “Here’s the artwork you requested, sir.”

“Thank you, Commodore.” The datacard contained artwork from Kirkwall, of course. Not just from the museums or other collections up in Hightown, but artwork found in Lowtown, because that was the area most affected by the Kirkwall incidents and they were the people most likely to join the rebels. It also contained artwork from years past, of course, including as far back as the Clone War. That way he could get a clear picture and see how things may have changed.

Faro handed him another datacard, “And here’s the numbers you requested.”

The numbers in question were the total population of Lowtown, and the number of casualties that occured thanks to Operation Annulment. Something about the damage report from that incident had not added up. Thrawn had a theory about it.

“Are you sure about this, sir?” Faro asked. “I mean, that’s a lot of numbers to go through, and…” She considered her next words. “Numbers were more of _his_ speciality.”

“I am aware of that, Commodore.” His tone was firm, and she got the hint. Any conversations about _him_ had to remain unsaid. “However, I believe that it will not take me long to find out what I need to know.”

“If you say so,” Faro conceded. Thrawn dismissed her and she went on her way.

Once the Commodore was gone, Thrawn set the datacards on his desk and went to his sleeping quarters. He opened his drawer and took out a small metal box, then sat on his bed and opened it up. Inside was a rank plaque for a Lieutenant-Commander. Blue fingers gently ran over the raised red and blue squares.

One day, they would see each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra is another one of those characters who I can't see being on the side of the rebels, with how pro-Chantry and pro-Templar she is in her home canon.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This chapter contains references to drugs and addiction

Varric’s suite at the Hanged Man wasn’t exactly built for large crowds, but somehow all seven of the Starlings had squeezed in. Isabela and Merrill sat on the low bench together, Garrett took the human-sized seat across from Varric’s usual chair, and the rest sat on the floor, with the exception of R3, who stood in the corner. Anders made sure he was sitting next to his boyfriend. To ensure they hadn’t been seen coming in, they’d taken the secret tunnel into the Hanged Man. The last thing Varric needed was to get a visit from the Empire because the wrong person recognized them entering the cantina.

“We’ve been waiting for almost a half-hour,” Fenris said, looking down at his whisky and swirling it. “I’m starting to think Varric’s contact welched on us.”

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon, Fenris,” Garrett said. He and Anders hadn’t touched their own drinks. Anders didn’t drink, since Justice insisted on staying sober, and Garrett abstained out of solidarity. Isabela and Fenris were all too happy to take their drinks. Merrill just looked down at her whisky, as if expecting live worms to crawl out of it, and Bethany had taken one sip of her drink before making a face and setting it down.

“Varric did come through for us during Operation Annulment,” Bethany pointed out, though she got a sad look in her eyes. Six months since her twin had left with General Tabris, and she still missed him. Much as she wanted to contact him, it wasn’t worth the risk.

The door opened and Varric stepped through, “Greetings, rebels.”

Right behind the dwarf was a human man wearing clothes that had obviously gone through multiple repairs. He had bags under his eyes, and had been picking at his fingernails. Garrett had been smuggling long enough to recognize when a man was doing spice. He and his siblings had never dealt in spice or smuggled it, but they’d known a few smugglers who did, and they’d seen the effects of it during their travels.

Varric closed the door behind him and the newcomer, before introducing him, “Gentlefolk, this is Raleigh Samson, former stormtrooper.”

The room suddenly got very tense. Anders’ hand went to his hip, where he kept his lightsaber. Samson held up his hands, “Emphasis on _former_ Stormtrooper, thank you.” His voice was rough and raspy.

“Funny, because you don’t see very many stormtroopers decide they’re sick of the trooper life and quit,” Anders snorted.

“Don’t get your wires in a knot,” Samson snorted right back. “Granted, the circumstances of my leaving weren’t exactly something you read about in a heroic tale.” He leaned against the wall and sighed. “Truth is, I only joined up ‘cause I had nowhere to go, and the things I saw made me turn to the red stuff just so I could sleep at night.” He scratched his left nostril.

“And Meredith just let you do spice?” Fenris asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She didn’t care, so long as I was a good little stormtrooper,” Samson grumbled. “Then she caught me passing notes from a prisoner to his sweetheart on the outside. She considered that treason and stripped me of my rank and armor before tossing me onto the street. The prisoner wasn’t so lucky. She had him executed.” He hung his head, shaking it. “The man wasn’t even a rebel.”

Listening to that, it made Garrett glad that woman was dead. Perhaps she figured that leaving Samson to die in the streets was just as good as executing him too.

“Samson’s been helping smuggle people off Kirkwall since then,” Varric said, sitting in his chair. “Trust me, would I ever leave you guys astray?”

Garrett looked up at Samson. “So, Varric said that his contact, that’s you, had something to tell us.”

“That I did,” Samson replied. “I know that you lot don’t exactly have a lot of starfighters, and your armada could always use some more.”

“And you know where we can find some?” Isabela asked.

“Not exactly,” Samson said. “But I know where you can find out where you can find some. Before I came to Kirkwall, I was stationed at Ratet, out near the Outer Rim. They got a base there where they store information, including star maps. There should be something there that can point you towards a starfighter reclamation plant or a junkyard.”

“Alright then,” Garrett said. “So we just get some Stormtrooper armor, get in, get the data and slip right out.”

“Not that easy,” Samson countered. “The commander who runs that base is a hardass who thinks that Stormtroopers are only there to point and shoot, not go where they’re not meant to. He’s also an arrogant git who thinks that the rebels aren’t going to touch him. No, the only way you’re going to get that information is if you impersonate an officer, the rank of Lieutenant at minimum.”

“I can use some connections to get a uniform and rank plaque,” Varric offered.

“Alright, we’ll head out as soon as we get them. We’ll send one of our own in, and he’ll grab the intel.” Garrett looked over at his boyfriend. “Do you think you’re up for this, Anders?”

Anders’ eyebrows went up and he pointed at himself. “Me?”

“Sorry, love, but it has to be you. Fenris and Merrill aren’t human, and Bethany’s too young to be higher than a cadet. Isabela and I also don’t blend in very well unless our faces are covered.”

“Plus, your accent is the closest to an Imperial’s,” Isabela pointed out.

Anders considered it for a moment. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

“Great,” Varric said, smiling. “I’ll comm my folks and let you know when we have the stuff.”

“You got it,” The rebels stood and filed out of the room, but Garrett stayed for a moment. He regarded Samson, and took out some credits. “Hey, I know it’s not much, but maybe you can use it to get yourself some help. There’s a clinic in Lowtown that helps people in your condition.”

Samson looked at the credits, sighed and held out his hand. Garrett deposited the credits into his open palm.

* * *

Garrett touched down on a cliff a good distance away from the base. This part of the planet was mostly rocky cliffs, with a spattering of forest land. From this distance, they could see that the base wasn’t very big, and was maybe the size of the capitol building back on Kirkwall, though unlike the capitol, it was only one story. From this vantage point, and with a pair of electro-binoculars, they could spy on the base from afar while Anders and R3 did their thing.

“Are you sure sending Anders in alone is the best course of action?” Fenris asked, plopping down into the copilot seat.

“Don’t tell me you want to go?” Garrett quipped.

“Hardly. Just as you said, they won’t believe it if we sent in a non-human. But, what if he gets a taste of Imperial life and decides he likes it?”

“I’m certain that won’t happen, Fenris. I trust him.” Garrett sighed. “When are you going to see that the Jedi and people like Anders are just as much victims of the Empire as those without Force sensitivity?”

“That doesn’t change that there are more Inquisitors than Jedi out there right now.”

“Because the Sith wiped out most of the Jedi and probably any survivors who resisted them. I highly doubt that most of the surviving Jedi lined up to pick up a red lightsaber when the Inquisitors came for them. There have to be other survivors out there who have chosen to hide rather than be brainwashed into becoming Inquisitors.”

“Maybe,” Fenris murmured. He picked up his datapad and buried his nose in it. As a former slave, Fenris had never been taught to read, but he was slowly teaching himself, with a little help from the others.

The cockpit door slid open and Garrett got up from his seat and turned around, right as Anders stepped inside, dressed in the olive uniform of an Imperial officer. He’d also shaved his stubble and done his hair up in a bun, which he then covered with his cap. Since they were a whole system away from Kirkwall, there was very little chance Anders would be recognized, especially now that he’d taken some extra steps to change his appearance. 

“Well, how do I look?”

“Like a man who’s going to get us that data,” Garrett’s eyes roamed up and down Anders’ body. “I must say, I like a man in uniform. Maybe when you get back I can get out the stormtrooper disguise and we can play a little game.” He winked at Anders, making him blush.

“Get a room, you two,” Fenris groaned, not looking up from his datapad.

Garrett ignored the elf. “Have you thought about an alias?”

“I have, yes. Say hello to Lieutenant Gavril Vesin.”

Like that artist he liked. Pretty clever, if Garrett did say so himself. “Do you have the rank plaque?”

“Right here,” Anders reached into his pocket and drew out said rank plaque. Garrett held out his hand, and Anders placed it within his palm, so his lover could pin it to his chest. Once it was in place, Garrett’s hand lingered on Anders’ chest. He looked up at his boyfriend and leaned up to kiss him for good luck.

“May the Force be with you.”

“Always.”

Anders was about to leave when Garrett put a hand on his arm. “Just a second,” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a datacard, handing it to Anders. The ex-Jedi glanced down at it.

“What is it?”

“I copied some of my artwork to a datacard, so that in a way, I’ll still be with you during this mission,” Garrett smiled. “Plus, I have a surprise for you involving that artwork, and this will give you something to look forward to when you get back.”

“You are so sappy,” Anders smiled back, pocketting the datacard.

* * *

Anders parked the landspeeder right outside the base and waited for R3 to exit before they made their way to the front door. Two stormtroopers guarded the entrance. This was it. Anders held himself high, putting on snooty airs, and acting like he belonged there. R3 remained quiet, playing the part of an obedient little droid as she rolled along behind him. He expected the troopers to stop him and ask him why he was there, but they just nodded at him and let him stroll right in.

The front room of the base was a small hub with hallways leading in various directions. There wasn’t a lot of activity, just a few officers bustling about and going in and out of the hallways. A droid stood in the center of the room. Anders approached it and put on his best Imperial tone.

“You, droid, where can I find some maps?”

“Hallway C,” The droid answered in a monotone voice. “There you may access the database of maps, from sector maps, galaxy maps, and even planetary maps.”

“Which room would I go to if I needed maps showing me where some shipyards or reclamation plants are?”

“That would be room C-3.”

“Very well,” As Anders approached the hallway entrance marked ‘C’, he gave R3 an apologetic look. He hated being mean to droids just doing what they were programmed for, even if that particular droid wasn’t very sophisticated, but he had to play his part. Being nice to droids would probably get him a few raised eyebrows from anyone overhearing him.

As they made their way down the hall, Anders pretended to be interested in adjusting his gloves and making sure his cap was on straight. The occasional officer would pass by him and glance at him, but otherwise ignored him. The Empire had hundreds of officers, so they probably didn’t think it odd that they would run into fellow officers they didn’t recognize. That made Anders feel more at ease.

Upon reaching the room marked C-3, Anders and R3 made their way inside, acting as if they owned the place. Consoles lined the walls, and more still formed a ring in the center, around a large holo-map of the galaxy. Just as Samson said, there were no stormtroopers within, only a few officers consulting data amongst themselves and accessing the consoles, along with a couple of astromech droids.

Anders led R3 to the nearest console and whispered, “Okay, find what we need.” R3 quietly beeped a single acknowledgement before plugging in. As the droid worked, Anders listened in on a nearby conversation between two officers.

“You see Commander Rolan around today?”

“Some big shot with the Fleet came by to collect some data today, and I guess the Commander wanted to see to his needs personally.” The Imperial snorted. “Probably thinks if he makes a good impression, he can get his own Star Destroyer command.”

“As if that would ever happen,” The other officer chuckled. “Anyway, someone must’ve heard that he likes to collect Jedi stuff, because I had to drop off a box of new stuff for his collection as long as I was here.”

Anders perked up immediately. Jedi stuff.

The others would be expecting him to return soon, but surely there was no harm in making a quick side trip. If this commander did have a collection of Jedi stuff, then there might be something useful, or something just worth getting out of the hands of the Empire. It had to be worth a look. Justice agreed with him.

R3 nudged his leg and he glanced down at her. She had gotten what she needed, and he got the hint that it was time to leave. Resuming the persona of the snooty Imperial, Anders strode out of the room, back down hallway C to the main hub, and then back outside to the speeder. Before R3 got back in the speeder, Anders knelt down to whisper, “There’s something I need to get first. Go on ahead and get that information to the others, I’ll catch up with you.” The droid made a worried noise. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

The stormtroopers glanced at him as he went back into the base, but didn’t question him. Anders walked up to the droid again and asked, “Where is Commander Rolan’s office?”

“Go down hallway A and take the first left turn, his office will be on the right hand side. His name will be on his door.”

Anders followed the directions at a brisk pace. The sooner he got in, the sooner he got back to the others. This hallway had even fewer people roaming around than the other one. After walking for a few minutes, Anders came across a door labeled with Commander Rolan’s name. There was a stormtrooper standing guard. The ex-Jedi approached him, and the guard said, “The commander’s not in right now.”

Anders waved a gloved hand in front of the trooper’s face. “The commander wanted me to drop something off in his office.”

“The commander wants you to drop something off in his office,” The trooper parrotted, opening the door and allowing Anders inside.

Once the door closed behind him, Anders took a look around. Just as those officers mentioned, this guy did indeed have a collection of Jedi items and artifacts. Hanging behind his desk was a mural of an unknown Jedi standing in a victorious pose; on the desk was a piece of Jedi armor; against the right wall were pedestals holding ancient stone tablets in a long forgotten language, and a stone slab that was once part of another mural; on the left wall was a wall-mounted shelf next to a torn up banner from the Jedi temple. The shelf had jewelry that had likely belonged to now dead Jedi, displayed in glass cases. Also on the desk was a small box, which was probably the stuff the officer from earlier had likely dropped off.

Seeing all of this made Anders frown. This man didn’t deserve to have any of these items, taken from the dead and displayed like war trophies. Even if the Jedi had let him down, to the point where he no longer associated with them, it displeased Anders and Justice to see these items become part of some Imperial dog’s collection.

“I wish we could just nab everything in here,” He told Justice.

_**As do I. But we do not have time.** _

He was right, of course. Anders had to just pick one item and then get back to the _Hawke’s Talon_. He looked at the jewelry, thinking about taking something from that, but nothing spoke to him. Walking over to the desk, Anders opened the box and looked inside. He dug through the packing material, not finding much except for another piece of armor and a busted up lightsaber training droid.

Then he felt something that got his attention. It felt cubic and had a pattern to it. No, it couldn’t be.

Anders pulled the item out. Sure enough, it was a Jedi holocron. Of all the things for Imperial scavengers to find and send to some collector. Closing his eyes, Anders focused on the holocron, and he felt it open, whispers brushing across his mind. Closing the cube again, Anders grinned. This would do.

One day, he would return and claim the rest of the items in here. But for now, he had to get back. Garrett and the others were waiting for him. Holocron in hand, Anders slid out of the office, past the guard and headed back in the direction of the central hub.

A door to his left slid open and Anders paused as a pair of officers stepped into the hallway. One of them was a man who was shorter than Anders, with brown hair and a trimmed mustache. He also had a sour look about him, like he had a rock in his boot.

But it was the other man who really got Anders’ attention. He was tall, with blue skin, slicked back blue-black hair, and glowing red eyes. He wore a white officer’s uniform, though Anders wasn’t exactly sure what a white uniform signaled, though judging by the rank plaque he had to be important. Unlike the human, his face was calm and unreadable, and he stood there cooly, hands clasped behind his back. The picture of cold serenity. Given how he’d only ever seen humans in the Imperial Fleet, the presence of an alien was noteworthy in and of itself. Anders had met Pantorans before, but this man was no Pantoran.

“I do hope you found what you were looking for, Grand Admiral,” the human said. “As you’ve seen, no rebel would come within a mile of this base so there’s no need for extra security.”

“So you say, Commander,” The Grand Admiral replied. His voice matched his demeanor, calm and cool, with an accent that Anders couldn’t place.

The commander then noticed Anders and scowled. “Do you _mind_? Identify yourself, now.”

“Lieutenant Gavril Vesin, sir,” Anders stood erect, but subtly turned the hand still holding the holocron away from the officers, hoping they wouldn’t see it. “I apologize, sir. I’ll be on my way.” Anders relaxed and took a few steps to walk around the two men.

“Just a moment, Lieutenant,” Said the Grand Admiral. Anders froze, that calm, cool voice like an icy needle to his gut. He turned to face the Grand Admiral, who said, “It might be beneficial if you accompany us.”

Anxiety lanced through Anders, but he managed to nod and said, “Yes, sir.”

The officers began walking down the hall, in the opposite direction of the central hub, and Anders fell into step on the Grand Admiral’s other side. He could work with this. Perhaps he could find out even more information to bring back to Orsino, and then slip away once he’d heard enough.

As they walked, Anders glanced at the Grand Admiral and tried to get a read on him through the Force. Unfortunately, it was like trying to get a reading off a block of ice. He could sense the Grand Admiral’s mind, but couldn’t tell what he was feeling. It didn’t feel like the man had a mental barrier that he intentionally put up to keep people out, but more that it was just the way his alien mind worked. It was like he was so in control of his emotions that he didn’t even emanate them through thought. Briefly, he flickered his reading over to the commander, just to make sure it wasn’t his abilities failing him. Sure enough, he could sense a general sourness, as well as a need to impress the Grand Admiral. Switching back to the Grand Admiral, the feeling of trying to read a block of ice returned. The more Anders was around this man, the more unsettled he became.

The commander was saying something, but the Grand Admiral instead turned to Anders and asked, “What is that you’re holding, lieutenant?”

 _Kriff_. No problem, he could bluff his way out of this. The Grand Admiral hadn’t sounded accusatory, but instead curious. Plus, most non-Force sensitives didn’t know a holocron when they saw one, especially not these days.

“This?” Anders held up the holocron at about waist height, turning it so the Grand Admiral could see it. “Just some twi’lek trinket I found while raiding this house in Ryloth for rebels. We arrested them, I found this and figured I might as well take it with me, since it’s rather pretty. I came here to see if I could find out information on what it is.”

The commander snorted, “You won’t find information on alien junk here, Lieutenant. We only store _useful_ information.”

“Do not dismiss such things so quickly, Commander,” The Grand Admiral said, still maintaining that calm, almost conversational tone. “To defeat an enemy you must know them. This includes their history and artwork. You collect Jedi artifacts, do you not?”

“It’s a hobby, nothing more.”

“So you say,” Thrawn’s voice became lower, and that feeling of trepidation increased within Anders. “Have you added anything to your collection lately?”

“Funny you should mention that, but someone was supposed to drop off a box of new items in my office today. I plan to go through them once we finish up here. Perhaps I’ll get lucky and someone sent me a lightsaber.” Anders resisted the urge to trip the commander with the Force. Not because using the Force for such things was frowned upon, but because he couldn’t risk either man becoming on to him.

“Did you know, Commander, that the Jedi and Sith had their own ways of storing information, other than the Jedi archives?”

Fear spiked through Anders again. Did he know? No, he couldn’t have. He was just making idle conversation with the commander, surely. Justice urged him to run, but Anders silently told him that they could wait this out.

“Did they now?”

“Indeed they did. They put the information inside of something that only one with the Force, or a special key, could open. The Jedi and Sith would put their most well-guarded and valuable information inside these items, to ensure that no one but themselves could access that information.” Glowing red eyes suddenly fixated on Anders. “That is why you took that holocron from the commander’s office, isn’t it, Lieutenant-Commander Anders?”

Anders immediately reached for his pistol (provided by Varric with the rest of the uniform), but blue fingers darted out like a cobra, wrapping around his wrist right as his fingers brushed the handle. Before Anders knew what was happening, the Grand Admiral flipped him around and pressed him face-first against the wall, pinning his hands behind his back with one hand. Anders was so startled that the holocron slipped from his fingers, which the Grand Admiral deftly caught with his free hand. The commander came over and took Anders’ weapon before he commed for a stormtrooper to come to their location with cuffs.

“I must commend you for your choice of alias, Lieutenant-Commander Anders,” The Grand Admiral whispered. “Not many are familiar with the outsider artist Gavril Vesin.”

“And here I thought I was being clever.” Anders turned his head to get a better look at the Grand Admiral. “Who _are_ you, anyway? I thought the Fleet was well known for being human-only.”

“You will address Grand Admiral Thrawn with respect, _rebel_ ,” The commander growled at him. Turning to Thrawn, he said, “You can put that item back in my office. I’ll find a place for it later.”

The sound of armored feet approached, signalling the arrival of a stormtrooper. The Grand Admiral backed away just far enough to allow the trooper to cuff Anders’ hands behind his back. The stormtrooper grabbed Anders by the arm and roughly pulled him away from the wall. 

Before they could escort him away, Thrawn said, “A moment.” He approached Anders and patted his pockets, until he felt Hawke’s datacard. Blue fingers slipped into his pocket and drew it out. Thrawn looked at it curiously, like he’d just found an interesting puzzle.

“You conniving thief!” The commander pointed at Anders. He must have assumed Anders took that from his office too. “You will be executed for this!”

“Prepare the prisoner for transport to the _Chimaera_ ,” Thrawn said to the trooper.

“No!” The commander snapped. “He was arrested on my base, therefore, he is _my_ prisoner. I will personally see him face justice.”

“As if you’d know justice if it slapped you in the face,” Anders hissed. The stormtrooper tugged his arm roughly.

Thrawn regarded the commander for a moment, giving him an icy stare. “Very well, Commander. He is your’s.” He held up the holocron and art datacard. “I wish to borrow these for a moment, and will return them to your office before I leave.”

“Fine,” The commander turned to the stormtrooper. “Take him to the holding cells.”

Anders shot the commander a dirty look before the stormtrooper pulled him away and down the hall.


End file.
